In a follow-up to our previous article on some of the more conventional study areas favoured by Rafflesians, we present to you the unconventional. Now that you are sufficiently acquainted with the common study areas, why not take the road less travelled? We explore some of the more quirky and unconventional spots on One Raffles Institution Lane. It is Man vs. Wild – Rafflesian Mugger edition!
You have three hours to kill before CCA starts, and you desperately need to sit down and start cracking that Math tutorial. (You could have done it during lunch break, but somehow you ended up queuing for Haw’s Kitchen.) But with all the study spaces around school, where should you go?
In the first half to this two part series, Raffles Press scouts out the more popular and conventional locations around school to spend a date with your graphing calculator.
Photos by Sharlene Lee, Ding Lin of Photographic Society
Unfortunately for our Boys’ A Division squash team, the dream of clinching the championship title in national inter-schools competition had already slipped away when RI went up against perennial rivals Hwa Chong Institution in the 3rd-4th squash play-offs on Monday afternoon. Thankfully, our A Div Boys’ Squash team reaffirmed their strength and fighting spirit, securing solid a 4-1 victory over HCI to clinch third place, setting the stage for a title challenge next season.
First game
In the first match, we sent out Timothy Leong, arguably our best player on the day. Starting off with multiple hard-hitting shots, Timothy quickly gained an early 5 point advantage over his opponent from HCI. With his greater experience and skills, Timothy gradually took control of the game, overwhelming his HCI counterpart. The first set ended 11-1 for RI.
The game continued without much of a turning point. Timothy’s dominance, both in terms of technique and tactics left his opponent losing the second set 11-2, and 11-4 for the third. An overall score of 3-0 boosted our confidence as we moved into the toughest match of the game.
Timothy Leong (RI) poised to strike.
Second Game
Confronting the best player from HCI, Jun Yuan, Gabriel Ang faced the greatest challenge in the second game of the day.
The game got off pretty well with Gabriel taking an early lead. With his signature ‘nick’ shots, Gabriel occasionally wowed the crowd well-placed shots to the corners of the court, pushing his strong opponent into the defensive position. The first set ended with a score of 11-7 for RI.
However, as the second set began, the HCI player started to push up the game’s pace, using powerful shots to counter our player’s style. With better positioning, Jun Yuan managed to take the set 7-11.
In the final sets, our opponent showed more of his flair, manoeuvring his shots towards the dead corners of the court. With a more confident performance, Jun Yuan continued to win another 2 sets, ending the second game with the score line of RI 1-3 HCI, pulling back the overall score to a 1-1 tie.
Gabriel Ang (RI), lining up a shot against his opponenet.
Third Game
It was RI Captain Yang Zhe Shen’s turn to lead the way. By adopting an aggressive strategy, our opponent worried the RI supporters outside the court by striking the ball venemously towards the back corners, making it extremely difficult for Zhe Shen to return. However, with firm mental strength, Zhe Shen made a comeback and won the first set 11-8.
Zhe Shen went on to dominate the second set with a score of 11-2, finally ending the game with a score line of 11-8.
Fourth Game
This game pitted ex-national player and RI team member Warren Seow against current national player Jie Le from HCI. From the start, the game became a real feast for all the supporters as both players showcased their exceptional skills, fighting for every point. The first set went down to the wire, with the score reaching 10-10. The silence which engulfed both teams’ supporters was completely shattered when Warren won the 11th point. Finally, a final shot to the far corner of the front wall, pulling off a ‘nick,’ put an end to the first set 12-10 in RI’s favour.
The game continued with both players going head-to-head in a remarkably tense atmosphere. Warren finally edged out Jie Le with score lines of 11-8 and 11-9. This marked the victory of RI’s team over HCI’s team in the 3rd – 4th play-off match.
RI’s Warren Seow prepares to hit a fierce shot against his HCI opponent
Fifth Game
Our fifth, and also the final game with HCI, was taken by Joel Tang. Throughout the game, he maintained a consistent composure, keeping the ball low to the dead corners. However, his opponent tended to play a more aggressive game, creating multiple game-willing chances for Joel. Eventually, the game turned out to be a rather intense and exciting battle between the two players.
Multiple unforced errors by the HCI player, coupled with great accuracy and precision by Joel earned RI yet another win in the last game. The total score 3-0 (11-9, 11-5 and 11-8 respectively) ended the Boys’ squash 3rd – 4th placing match with victory given to RI’s team.
Final Words
When asked about our chances of winning next year, Team Captain Zhe Shen shared, “Squash is a unique sport in that while one person plays at a time, it is the whole team’s effort that makes a win.” Hence, our chances next year “depend on each person’s best effort which ultimately culminates to the team’s success.”
On behalf of the Boys’ Squash Team, Zhe Shen would like to, “firstly, thank God, secondly coach Mr. Allan Chang for dedicating time and effort to train us, teachers in-charge Mr. Venantius Chng and Ms. Praba Naidu for their fervent hard work in running the CCA, and all the squash CCA members for putting their best supporting the team.”
Raffles Press would like to once again congratulate Boys’ Squash Team for bringing home the 3rd place trophy! We wish the team all the best for next year’s sports season.
The Boys’ A Div Squash Team after their 4-1 victory over HCI
Raffles Press would like to thank William Leung from the RI Squash Team for helping with our match report, and the Photography Club for kindly contributing photographs of the match.
By Vanathi Rajarajan (14S05B) and Lakshmanan Lakshmi (14S06B)
While most of us were eagerly awaiting the weekend, the Touch Rugby girls were eagerly awaiting their final match against Nanyang Junior College. It was a late afternoon and fortunately the sky was clear and the sun was bright. The final matches took off with great weather.
The team getting advice from their coach just before the match
Touch rugby is usually played with 6 members from each team trying to touch down and score as many tries as possible. However, there is a twist: defending players prevent the attacking team from gaining a territorial advantage by touching the ball carrier. 6 touches are all one has. Once 6 touches have been made or the ball is dropped, possession changes. The opponent team gets the ball and the game carries on. A typical game lasts for 20 minutes. Though it might sound simple, it is a tough and tiring game, requiring stamina and mental strength.
Let’s go Raffles! – the team and alumni huddle before the match
“Unfortunate injuries and the team performing below standard, as well as bad refereeing decisions, cost us the game (against Nanyang last week),” said Vice-Captain Louisa Ng. Having lost to Nanyang JC just last week, Raffles Touch was all set to fight strong and gain back what they lost.
The action started at the sound of the whistle. There was only one goal in mind for both teams: to secure a 5th placing and to end the season on a high note. The level of competence was equal on both sides. The possession of the ball kept switching from team to team. Team members were running from point to point making sure that the whole pitch was covered at all times. The level of spirits was high as both sides were giving a good fight!
It was at about the 6th minute mark that bought the Raffles side to squeals and jumps. Having the possession of the ball in hand, Maegan Wang made a mad dash to the end of the field, dodging and outrunning her opponents along the way. She secured the first try for Team Raffles. The score was now 1-0.
Throughout the match, there were many swaps within the players. This way, all the players had a go at contributing to their team’s win. The constant calls from their coach and teammates also boosted their spirits and allowed for more alert play.
Not getting complacent from the lead they had over NYJC, Raffles Touch fought hard and strong. NYJC had multiple chances at scoring but Raffles maintained a strong defence. At about the 15th minute, Louisa dived in to score another try. Just seconds later, the whistle was blown. The score was 2-0. Raffles Touch Rugby had overcome Nanyang JC to retain the 5th place for the third year running!
Louisa Ng in action, backed by team mates Celeste Tan and Cherlyn Seah
Captain Lee Chin’s felt that this season was “one of the best memories to be had in JC”. “Every single player grew a lot, individually and as a team. I believe that every one of us really tried our best,” she said. “I would definitely like to thank our coach, as she not only trained us, but also gives us so much support,” Lee Chin said. She added that teachers-in-charge Ms Lee Mei Yin and Ms Ma Jialin were “always there to help us”, in addition to their seniors.
Vice-Captain Louisa was similarly proud of her team: “Even though we did not reach our goal of getting a medal placing, we are proud of the team for playing our bests despite the odds against us and finishing well. No regrets!”
When asked what is unique about this batch of girls in Touch Rugby, teacher-in-charge Ms Ma replied without a thought, “This year it was a stronger team, they played their best and put it all out there. This year’s captain (Lee Chin) was a rare leader and took the welfare of the team as the first priority. She gave her all and was a role model to her team. Together with the vice captain (Louisa Ng) she was able to gel the team together this year.”
She added: “Touch Rug will definitely come back stronger next year!”
All smiles after a successful season
Photos courtesy of Nicholas Koh (Photographic Society)
Last year, in the middle of my term at Raffles Press, I stopped believing that we could make any real change to the culture of discussion and honesty in the school.
