Commentary, Staff Features 16 March 201320 March 2013

Teacher Feature: Mr Tan Boon Poh

Reading Time: 6 minutes

By Kimberley Yeo (13S05B) and Rachel Tan (13S06D)

Watch out, everyone – you may be issued a white slip for forgetting your exam register number!

As RI’s no-nonsense discipline master, Mr Tan Boon Poh is known for the poker face expression that accompanies his interactions with students, from doling out lame jokes and white slips to reciting the infamous THINK. But if “Hurry up, come in!” or “Eh, where’s your badge?” is all you remember of him, you might have to tweak that opinion soon. In today’s Teacher Feature, we find out more about our stoic DM’s mysterious life as RI’s head rule enforcer and his marathon pursuits.

THINK is Mr Tan's much-loved mantra — THINK is Mr Tan’s much-loved mantra

All his working life, Mr Tan has faithfully lectured batches after batches of Physics students in RI. Yet. why teaching in the first place? “As part of my mechanical engineering degree, I was on an industrial attachment for 6 months. I found it quite boring to do a 9 to 5 job, so I decided to do something more interesting and less regimental,” Mr Tan explained. But regiment eventually caught up – since 2008, he has been our second official Discipline Master.

BEING DM
Press: How exactly is a DM appointed and how did you feel when you first heard of your appointment? Any reservations?

Mr Tan: How ah? I don’t know leh. RJC only has only had two DMs, which are Mr Leong Yew Wah (Deputy Principal, Special Projects) and me. I was quite surprised when Mr Winston Hodge first asked me and I was wondering, “Why me?” Of course I had some reservations as I had totally no idea of what to do as a discipline master. The DM’s job is not just dealing with students. Part of it is also about working with teachers – how to get them to support the rules, how to enforce them and so on.

Fun fact: Mr Tan’s rule-enforcing days actually date back to primary school, where he was a prefect!

What is the best and worst thing about being DM?

Well, they are somewhat the same thing. When nothing happens and there are no cases to handle, I have more time for myself and I can be assured that the students are self-regulating. However, the worst thing would be when a lot of serious offences happen back to back and I will be busy with investigations, counselling the students and meeting parents.

What are some of the most absurd excuses you have heard from students?

Hmm, most absurd excuses… There was one during Take 5 just recently where two girls and one boy were trying to climb over the fence into the Port of Lost Wonder (the water play area for children with the pirate ship). So I stopped them and when I asked them why they were climbing over the fence – the boy had already climbed over, they responded saying they were going to the toilet, but there was no toilet in sight.

Also, I once came across this boy who was sitting in the canteen in slippers and he said it was because he was going for swimming training. And so I asked him why wasn’t he in his swimming trunks too.

What is the most annoying thing students do which you wish you could issue a warning slip for?

Students who write the wrong number on their OMR (Optical Mark Reader) answer sheet during exams. Because the marking is done automatically by computer, once someone shades the wrong number, I have to take out the piece and re-shade his number correctly for him. Actually, it is even worse when he shades in his classmate’s instead. This results in the machine computing his marks as his classmate’s. What is the worst is when his goes in before his classmates and the machine jams as there is a repetition of the same number. Then I’ll have to go and readjust and it takes a lot of time.

Also, students who don’t remember their register number and sit at the wrong tables in the examination hall. The whole class ends up sitting in the wrong place and they all have to shift, which can disrupt the concentration of the rest in the hall.

RUNNING

If you’ve caught Mr Tan running around the track, you might be immediately drawn to his attention-catching barefoot shoes. Interestingly enough, his interest in running was founded on more practical concerns rather than love for the activity itself. As he puts it, “The running was because I was preparing for my 2.4km run a few years ago. Since I take a bath after I run, I thought ‘Why not run further?’ And as I ran farther and farther I found it more enjoyable”.

As for the barefoot shoes, he discovered them in a book on running entitled “Born to Run”. And for the Physics behind it? Let’s just say that it’s somewhere along the lines of reaction forces, centre of gravity and acceleration.

So the barefoot shoes help you run farther?

It is not so much that the barefoot shoes help me in running farther. I find that it helps me have a more natural style of running and reduce the impact on my knee. You try to land on the ground first with the middle of your foot or your forefoot below your center of gravity (CG). To me, it’s a new style of running. Most people who wear barefoot shoes run in this style, because it’s very painful to strike the ground first with your heel as barefoot shoes do not offer any cushioning. So the more technical part is that you try to take shorter strides to prevent overextending your leg. You make up for the shorter strides by taking more frequent steps.

Have you gone for any marathons?

I’ve run two marathons and more than ten half marathons. Which is why I say you need to set a target. Because if you just run, you’ll just get bored. So usually I will sign up for a race, like my upcoming one is the RUN350. Once I paid to sign up, must go right? Then go already, should come in with some good timing, right. So every race, I’ll set a target, like 2 h 15 min for a half marathon. Then I’ll follow a training programme – run how many times a week, what type of run to run and timing for each run.

Best timing?

2 h 15 min. For a half marathon.

Any ultimate goal?

No I’m not the competitive type, so as long as I enjoy running that’s fine.

Mr Tan was the first one shaved at Hair For Hope 2012

—

It’s not just about issuing white slips and applying Physics concepts to running – Mr Tan also shared with us how being DM has prepared him for the nobler task of parenthood.

So do you have any other hobbies?

Hmm not really, I think it’s just running, and taking care of my kids. I don’t have much time for anything else.

May we ask if you discipline your children in the same way as you do in school?

It depends. When I talk to most of the students in RI, they do understand and change their behaviour. But for kids, they can be too young to understand what you are talking about, so that’s where a cane comes in useful.

Do you think being DM has prepared you for disciplining your children?

Yes, sad to say, from the cases I handle I’ve learnt what not to do when bringing up children.

So to end off, any advice for someone who would like to start exercising regularly?

Begin with the end in mind. You need to set up a target, what you want to do. Then come up with a plan and have the discipline to stick to the plan.

We would like to convey our sincerest thanks to Mr Tan for so graciously agreeing to this candid interview and hope that none of you will forget your register numbers this upcoming CTs!

Photos courtesy of Mr Tan and Tsai Minyi.

Commentary 13 March 201315 July 2017

Confession is Good for the Rafflesian Soul

Reading Time: 7 minutes

By Jeremy Yew (13A01B)
Additional Reporting by Allison Choong (14S05B) and Bryan Chua (14A01A)

“I confess…that I check the RJ Confessions Page everyday without fail!”

On Feb 10th (strategically timed before Valentine’s Day), the RJ Confessions Facebook page was created, and has garnered more than 3500 likes and 7000 people talking about it. For those who have been living under their Math tutorial booklet, this is the RI Y5 and 6 equivalent of an online anonymous confessions trend that has been all over everyone’s news feed. The first page that sparked it all off was probably the NUS Confessions Page, which spawned a slew of pages for both undergrad and tertiary student communities such as NTU, SMU, and ACSI, with even a little-sibling Raffles Confessions meant for the Y1-4 side and RGS students.

“All dat BGRs”, indeed…90% of all posts on the RJ Confessions page are related to infatuation, relationships or love. The longest ever post was a 741-word essay (word count included) on BGR in JC.

Trivial, shocking, or funny; encouraging, honest, or thought-provoking. The wide range of ‘confessions’ that appear on the constantly updated RJ Confessions page could be seen as testament to a unique Rafflesian creativity, humor, and expression (or perhaps repression). They include everything from actual confessions and anecdotes on school life to rants, moralistic policing and even original poetry!

Not to forget the bread and butter of any confession page: the romantic confessions, and their counterfeit counterparts: the ‘troll’ confessions. These probably number as many as the genuine ones, and are done for laughs or to embarrass friends.

A site that sees such heavy traffic and volume cannot be single-handedly maintained. But who are the genii behind this source of entertainment (or disdain) for thousands of Rafflesians and non-Rafflesians alike? Admins 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 of course! You know them by their comments, now here’s a chance to find out more about how they operate, and what they think of the phenomenon itself. Raffles Press presents our exclusive interview with the RJ Confessions Page admins.

Which batch(es) are you from? Tell us more about yourselves!
We will reveal it when the time is right. Admin 1 is a guy, Admins 2 and 5 are girls, Admins 3 and 4 are currently in NS.

Do any of your friends know who you are, or do you keep your identity as secret as super-heroes?
Only a few of Admin1’s friends know.

How has the frequency of confession submissions been since the page’s opening? Do you think this phenomenon will die down?
We don’t really measure the frequency, but yes the frequency has been decreasing, but barely. Admin 2 thinks this phenomenon is just a fad that will die down as everyone starts mugging, but Admin 1 thinks then, this page will still be used but to rant about different matters such as PW.

What inspired you to create this page? What motivates you to keep it running?
Well Admin 1 does this page really just to give other Rafflesians an avenue to voice out concerns they’re afraid of voicing out usually, because Admin 1 has been hoping for something like this for a long time but since no one did it, he got inspired by the recent confessions trend in local universities and decided to create such a page. We keep it running because we are sure there will be other Rafflesians like Admin 1 out there who want this page.

How long do you plan to do this?
We’ll do it for as long as people continue to support us and use this page.

How often do you check/post stuff? How much time do you spend sifting through submissions? How do you find the time?!
We do it any time and all the time – we use time turners.

You sometimes add in snide, humorous or corrective comments at the end of some posts; for example, pointing out the other side of an extreme opinion. Do you see yourselves as neutral facilitators, or moralistic arbiters of the RJ confessions community?
Nope, not at all, we’re just adding our own comments because sometimes we just feel that something needs to be said about the confession; it’s quite entertaining too.

What is your censorship policy? How many submissions do you reject daily?
Well we reject all posts containing obvious names and posts containing vulgarities or highly defamatory ones, especially if they are ungrounded accusations. Different admins have different criteria. Admin 2 generally does not like posts about love whereas Admin 1 favors those posts. Generally nowadays we hardly reject submissions because people are starting to learn what is acceptable and what is not.

How do you feel about bearing the burden of responsibility to maintain the institution’s reputation? (Do you even consider that your duty?)

Yes, many people reminded Admin 1 of that at the start, and yes we do bear that in mind.

A wet blanket or a prudent warning? We’ll find out eventually.

Is it…True, Helpful, Inspiring, Necessary, Kind? What do you think is the risk of ‘offensive’ or ‘disagreeable’ content being posted? What if the school requests that the page be shut down?
Honestly, I think THINK isn’t really Necessary, because if all those conditions had to be met, then 90% of RJ Confessions posts would never have existed. I think only the T aspect of THINK is important. I think the risk of such acts is already amply covered in newspapers/GP lessons, but I still think it would only have, at most, a short term impact on our school’s reputation. I don’t think I will agree with the school if they asked me to shut this page down; there is little they can do to force me into doing it too.

What are some examples of the “ugliest” confessions you receive?
Well, basically there were vivid descriptions of sexual fantasies. I certainly hope those were trolls.

In your opinion, do you think RJ Confessions has debunked or reinforced Rafflesian stereotypes in the public eye?
I doubt so. Some things are too ingrained for a few comments on the Internet. To change such stereotypes requires the long-term co-operation of all Rafflesians – past, present and future.

Wouldn’t a Twitter feed be well-suited to posting confessions?
We think the Facebook page is enough on our plates as it is.

Indeed, they do have a lot on their plates – these admins have filtered and posted a whopping 2400 entries to date, excluding those that are not aligned with their censorship policy, as well as many romantic confessions they deemed not interesting enough.

And Raffles Press has slogged through every one of those 2400 posts (okay, confession: that’s just Jeremy…who needs to get a life) to come up with some of our favorite posts, based on a range of criteria such as originality, humor, and memorability. Presenting, in no order of merit:

Raffles Press’ Top 10 Favorite RJ Confessions

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And of course, the most famous one of all, the “payphone” confession! Too long to be posted here, it has garnered more than 3300 likes and has even been featured on 9GAG Singapore!

RJ Confessions is not just about infatuated declarations and unrequited crushes. It’s about freedom of speech (though some might disagree, given the unchecked moderating power of the Admins), and the boundaries our community is willing to challenge. It’s about Rafflesian creativity and humor at its best (and worst) – for many students this may be a new opportunity to try their hand at creative writing, something they may not get the chance to do in the daily grind of academic life. It’s about Rafflesians helping each other out – either by sharing inspiration or dispensing experienced advice; a support network of individuals united by common experiences.

The staff of RI are not to be left out of the fun, of course; quite a number of them do follow the page closely, including Mr. Dominic Chua (Head of Creative Direction of the Communications, Alumni Relations and Advancement Department), who has himself responded to a post by a senior complaining about the corporatization of RI’s image. He muses: ‘From a sociological and communications point of view, it’s a listening post, gossip centre and rantboard all rolled into one!”

While naysayers might claim that anonymity can breed irresponsibility, and that such an uncontrolled media platform could lead to disastrous PR situations, Mr Chua thinks otherwise: “I think [such confession pages] make people in positions of authority nervous because salacious or even hateful material could in theory get posted, but with the RI pages at least we’re trusting in the two checks that do exist – first, the intelligence and good sense of the various admins, and second, the ability of the community of readers to step in and moderate what’s been said – to keep the pages working in the best interests of the Rafflesian community.’

RJ Confessions also plays a crucial role as a space for Rafflesians to talk about and deal with stereotypes within our community (albeit in an open platform). Since its inception, the page has seen more than 20 posts that denounce, qualify, reinforce or discuss Rafflesian stereotypes, including contributions from non-Rafflesians or members of the public. It can also be an avenue for socially marginalized groups to speak up; for example, there have been numerous sexual-minority confessions that talk about the challenges they face being ‘open’ or ‘closed’ amongst peers about their sexual identities, calling for greater tolerance and acceptance.

It is easy to dismiss this page as frivolous or trivial, a passing phenomenon that will eventually fade. Yet, more than one month on, it is still going relatively strong; perhaps its enduring appeal lies beyond the anonymity it grants and the audience response it guarantees. As the quote on the pillar in the library says, the Rafflesian Spirit is “…that which transcends generations to bind Rafflesians to work as one to strive towards a better age”. RJ Confessions’ continued relevance may be in the niche that it fulfills – allowing Rafflesians across batches and from all facets of the rich RI(JC) experience to connect. Ultimately, beyond functioning as the sole cross-experiential and cross-generational platform of discourse for Rafflesians to engage in, the roles that RJ Confessions can embody will be defined by the discernment and ingenuity of individual Rafflesians.

Staff Features 10 March 201323 August 2017

It’s No Use Knowing About Gorbachev If You Don’t Even Know Me

Reading Time: 7 minutes

Teacher Feature: Mr Edmund Kwok

By Claire Yip (13A01A)

Mr Edmund Kwok, International History tutor

A teacher feature on Mr Edmund Kwok has been in the pipeline at Press for almost a year now, but until a while ago, no one was willing to take it up. In a moment of impulsivity, I decided it would be something different.

Mr Kwok is an International History tutor who has been with RI for decades. The Minister for Education called him a ‘role-model’, ‘well-regarded among the JC History teaching fraternity’. In his youth he was among the first batch of junior college students in RJC, and did well enough to go on to do a double degree in NUS.

Yet his achievements are but a fraction of Mr Kwok’s person. Students describe him as ‘interesting’, ‘hilarious’, and even ‘self-absorbed’, but Mr Kwok seems to defy external judgment. He is, really, best understood in his own words, as when he is teaching. We conduct an extensive interview with him about his career, ‘intellectual people-watching’, and fashion.

Press: Can you give us a brief history of your teaching career?

Mr Kwok: Oh, okay. I can give you a handout, actually. But I can verbalise it now. Okay, I started teaching in 1991, that means from 1991 to 2013, most of the time I was with Raffles, but I was away for three years with the Ministry of Education, okay, as the curriculum planning officer. That was from 2000 to 2002. Okay, this is my twenty-second year in teaching. So, what else would you like to know, other than the time period? Oh, I started teaching Southeast Asian History for the first two years, and because of manpower requirements, I switched to do International History. In the early years I was teaching General Paper as well, but when I returned from MOE, I specialised in just doing International History.

I heard that you have a double degree in Geography and History from NUS.

Oh, because during my time in university, it was even more broad-based. You need to choose three subjects. So I chose History, Geography, and Political Science. Political Science was my minor. After my third year, I was offered to do Honours, actually both subjects offered me to do Honours. But at that time I don’t think there’s a double Honours, so I chose one, and I chose History, even though I felt it was a more challenging subject. But somehow or other, I was drawn to decide to take History for my fourth year.

How come?

I think it’s more than just the grades. I was scoring better for Geography, and Geography is more practical, especially human geography, I can see it happening all around me. For history you need to actually go back in time. Okay, you need to have this sense of empathy, and putting yourself in the shoes of other people. Otherwise you find that you will be very detached from the past, because you can’t feel how other people make decisions. Despite the challenges, I think it’s the passion, and the nature of history is such that we study historical personalities, okay, and the intentions behind their actions, and their actions, and most important is the significance of their actions.

‘For history you need to have empathy, and put yourself in the shoes of other people.’

Would you say that this passion for history is your most important reason for teaching?

I think my passion for teaching comes before my passion for the subject. Even before I got a chance to take History, at a very young age, I had already set my mind on teaching. So when I chose my subjects in university, I chose teaching subjects – History and Geography.

Speaking of your teaching, what do you think are some hallmarks of your teaching style?

Hallmarks? Oh, okay, hallmarks ah. I prepared something. I need to reflect first. Okay, wait, let me see. [Mr Kwok scans through a few sheets of paper he has prepared for the interview.] Okay, I think I use [my image and life story in my lecture notes] because it’s a matter of preference. I don’t want to be put in a situation in which I’m just introducing the subject. I think it’s one means to enthuse the students as well.

I don’t know whether this is typical or not for a History teacher, but I feel that in order to appreciate other historical personalities, you need to appreciate the teacher first. It’s no use knowing so much about Gorbachev, if you don’t even know a bit about me. Of course, whatever I want to share with the students is within my comfort level, but I talk about my career and things like that. Basically, I don’t want to be someone who is an inanimate entity, you know – like ‘Who’s the lecturer?’ ‘This guy, you know, is my History lecturer.’ It’s just like before a student actually does Middle Eastern history, the most important thing is the visual map. It’s no use knowing about Middle Eastern history if you can’t even visualise where the Middle East is. It’s the same thing, you see. You know the lecturer first, then you know the other historical personalities. But of course, in order to share about yourself, you must enjoy it. If you have a very narrow personal space, and everything is secret, of course it won’t work lah. You must enjoy it. And it’s not sharing about yourself as an end in itself, it’s for some more intellectual purpose lah – to enthuse the students about the subject as well.

I always talk about morning dews, which is actually encouraging students to give more insightful and refreshing perspectives. Above what I say. So I believe in giving the base – it’s like kueh lapis approach, you know? Okay, the students will add on to different layers of evaluation, perspectives, to the base.

Every time I see a new group of students I will [share about myself]. But of course, as I move along, it is done with more finesse. Basically it’s a way to market myself also lah, a shortcut to knowing who the person is, whether you’ve got the credentials, and, yeah…

‘It’s no use knowing so much about Gorbachev, if you don’t even know a bit about me.’

What are the subjects that you share with students about? And, what’s out of bounds?

Oh, okay. Wah. Maybe you give me some examples and I’ll tell you whether it’s out of bounds or not.

Your personal life, like family?

Oh that’s fine, yeah. I do share about that, given the opportunity lah. Because I don’t force-fit all this, just because I want to share; I must have the opportunity. I mean, I feel that there’s nothing to hide about family. I’ve got a sister, myself, and my parents. That’s fine, I mean nothing to hide. I’m willing to share about my age, my birthday, and my career, uh, my pastimes…

What about your romantic endeavours?

Ah, that one, okay, maybe that is a bit out of bounds lah.

Could you share about your activities outside school, like your star-chasing hobby?

Okay, can. Okay, just in case you’re misunderstood, I don’t chase stars. Okay. I don’t chase stars only, I would rather call it ‘people-watching’. A more generic term. Because the connotation that’s associated with star-chasing is a bit strange…

A bit too enthusiastic.

Yeah, yeah. It’s like obsession or whatever. So I’d rather call it people-watching. Okay. Intellectually it’s called people-watching, or people appreciation lah. I know it’s a very grand term.

So the thing is not about who you watch. It could be people, it could be animals, it could be birds. The concept is ‘watching’. Okay. It’s like watching who’s who in politics. You know, watching politicians, in the entertainment world…and it’s not just watching per se, it’s the contributions. For me, of course I’m interested in knowing the politicians and the stars, whatever you call it. I like to watch people, I think it sharpens my observation skills, and I don’t just watch people for the sake of it. It’s a reflection – it’s about after watching people, what you do. It’s the whole process, you see. The concept is about observation. It’s about watching. And I think it introduces another aspect of life. Life is not about work only, it’s not about socialising. Life is more than just that, alright? As long as it’s healthy.

So it’s not what you watch, it’s reflection. I think as an intellectual person, I move beyond just watching. I actually reflect on how the situation was like there, you see, like all those people who were so obsessive with chasing stars or whatever, okay, what is the psyche of these people; what makes them so obsessive, compulsive, you know? Chase them all the way, everywhere. And I was thinking, if for whatever reason I have the chance to write my memoir, this will be one of the chapters.

But it goes beyond watching, right? For example, there is a photo of you with Romeo Tan…

Yes, yes, but of course when you watch, you take picture also lah. But in terms of obsession and compulsion I wouldn’t go that far lah.

As seen in Today: left, Romeo Tan; right, Mr Edmund Kwok — As seen in *Today*: left, Romeo Tan; right, Mr Edmund Kwok

Now the final topic for today: fashion. Who do you think is your number one style inspiration?

Oh my goodness. I’m not a professional fashion admirer, okay. One thing is that I don’t go for brands, per se, I go for what the brand offers. In fact I feel that those middle-range ones are the most innovative. In fact, the high-range ones, you pay for the brand. Whereas the cut and the texture may be slightly better, but the design is very normal. Very normal. You go Hugo Boss, the shirts are all very normal one.

It’s only when you go for the middle-range one, it’s not too high-end, and it’s still quite affordable, that they are more stylishly innovative. Ah. So I don’t go for one designer, neither do I go for one brand. So I…brand-hop. I go for the design and the fit.

And which shopping destinations do you frequent?

Actually, I go where I can find the shirts that appeal to me. But most of the time, I will tend to gravitate towards Orchard Road, and it’s not surprising, because it’s the most accessible. Although I don’t mind travelling out, if there’s something I really want. Anyway, I’m a very mobile person. I travel around Singapore using public transport, which takes me everywhere…I don’t need a car. In fact I have two cars – which is the dialect name for two legs. Kah. Kah is legs right?

Neng kah.

Yes. So I’ve got two cars actually. When people ask me, ‘Do you have a car?’ I say, ‘Yeah, I got two cars.’

________________________________________________________

This interview has been edited for clarity and concision.
With assistance from Lye Han Jun.

Arts 9 March 20139 March 2013

Statement on Dramafest Review

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Raffles Press reviews school concerts and productions because we value the hard work performers have invested. We believe the outcomes of their efforts deserve a full airing to the wider school community.

As one of the highlights of the school calendar, Dramafest is no different. We provided in-depth coverage of the event this year because we wanted to acknowledge the talent and commitment of our budding actors and directors.

We recognize that no article can satisfy everyone and accept that sometimes, we will have to agree to disagree with our readers. However, in view of the strong sentiments expressed on the objectivity of the reviewers, we convened a fact-finding exercise to determine the circumstances leading up to the publication of the review.

Unfortunately, one of the reviewers had a conflict of interest with Hadley-Hullett House. We were not aware of the nature and extent of his involvement, and regret that this occurred. He has apologized to us for failing to declare this conflict. We will introduce measures to ensure this does not happen again.

Having said that, it should be noted that the review was jointly written by two reviewers, and was vetted by three independent senior editors. We felt that the review itself was well-written and substantiated with relevant factual detail. As part of the fact-finding exercise, we re-examined the article and circulated it to external parties who generally reached the same conclusion. While even we ourselves might disagree with views expressed in the article, we must respect the reasoned opinions of the reviewers – which in themselves are not meant to be conclusive pronouncements, but food for thought for the reader. Reviewing is a fundamentally subjective exercise and not an exact science.

However, we accept that more could have been done to moderate the tone of the article, given that Dramafest is an amateur production put together by 17- and 18- year-olds under intense constraints. This is, of course, a matter of writing style and editorial judgment, and something which we will take into account in future reviews. We would also like to emphasize that there is more than one good way to write a review.

Following the publication of the article, one of the reviewers made specific comments online which were inappropriate, especially those pertaining to judges. We have counselled the reviewer and highlighted the gravity of his actions. As such, he has apologized in his personal capacity – both publicly and to the parties involved.

Separately, we have been in touch with Dramafest Chief Judge, Mrs Nicola Perry, and Hadley-Hullett House Captain, Jonathan Kit. We have sought their input and have resolved this matter amicably.

We appreciate the feedback we have received, and are heartened by how passionately the community feels about both Dramafest and Raffles Press. Where we have fallen short, we will improve. We look forward to closing this chapter and moving on, so that we can continue to serve our readers and the wider school community.

CHUA JUN YAN
President
REGINA MARIE LEE
Vice-President
CLAIRE YIP
Vice-President
LOU SHAN
Secretary and Publicity Officer

Executive Committee
Raffles Press

Commentary 6 March 2013

Diary of an All-Rounded Performer

Reading Time: 5 minutes

By Regina Marie Lee (13A01B)
Additional Interviews by Allison Choong, Gao Wenxin, Trung Huan Nguyen and Hoang Nhan Nguyen

Even as we admire the A Level results of the Class of 2012, Raffles Press takes a look at students who have managed to pursue academic excellence as well as personal passions. Who are these people who manage to do so much? How do they do it? We speak to some about their journey in Raffles, as well as the people and things that have spurred them on.

Personal Passions

Samuel Ching (12A03A)’s twin interests are in healthcare policy and social entrepreneurship. “I’ll advise juniors to try to have a specific interest when doing activities,” he said. This was how he balanced his commitments while still managing to take part in numerous competitions. For competitions such as EDB’s BETA.sg Competition and the Singapore Budget Challenge 2012, Samuel chose questions related to healthcare policy. “(If you pursue an interest), you will have specific domain knowledge (on the subject). There is bound to be overlap, so you just have to apply the same knowledge,” said Samuel.

Similarly for Joseph Lee (12S06F), his passion for computer science made him take part in the Informatics Olympiad and the Singapore Science and Engineering Fair. Joseph also managed to attain 8 distinctions at his A Levels. “You will always come up with a schedule, like today I will do two A Level papers…to be honest the most important thing is to have the discipline to keep to your schedule…even if your friends ask you, ‘Eh, come and play DOTA’,” he said.

On the other hand, Seah Ern Xu (12A01C) feels that students should try out as many experiences as possible. “The best part of Raffles is that it gives you a lot of opportunities. There are so many activities, experiences and rewards to go for, ” he enthused. On top of being Buckle-Buckley House Captain in Council, Ern Xu was a primer for Boys Brigade, and participated in ISLE Vietnam. Still, even as students take on many commitments, they must be consistent in their work. Ern Xu admitted that he was not a “crazy genius who didn’t need to study”. “For me, I made sure I paid attention in class, and did my tutorials even during breaks…because at times such as IHC season, I got home past 12AM.” Even though he received “no As for prelims”, he eventually attained 8 distinctions at the A levels.

Spurring Them On
Meanwhile, Angeline Teo (12S03U) played on both the school and national Waterpolo teams. Her team was the first Singapore women’s team to make it to the SEA games in 2011, winning the gold for Singapore. As a student, her after-school schedule involved studying until school team training, then studying until her training with the national team, sometimes lasting till 9.30PM. She credited her teachers for helping her with consultations. For those juggling packed schedules, she has this advice: “Be honest with yourself, and seek help if you need it.”

Both Samuel and Joseph credit their faith for providing motivation and reassurance during the A Level journey. “Before every paper, me and a group of Christian friends would gather and pray,” Joseph said.

Gerard Low (12S06J) acknowledged his family’s “strong atmosphere of support” helped him to achieve 9 distinctions at the A Levels. “My brother and I would study at opposite sides of the table until late at night drinking copious amounts of coffee,” he reminisced. Also important were his friends, who included the “physics guy, the math girl and me — the chem nerd”. He added, “We could pull our information together (in discussions). They made me want to learn more. It’s quite a privilege to be in this school with such a conducive learning environment.”

At the end of Year 5, Mohamed Danish Fawaz (12A01D) decided to quit Soccer or he would not be able to cope with his studies. “It was a tough decision because I really liked soccer, and had the urge to play, especially since there was no soccer in RI (Y1-4),” he admitted. He had done badly in Year 4, with a GPA of 2.3. He recalled the time he visited the Principal’s office with his parents. The doubts that others had of his ability to cope in JC only spurred him on. “I wanted to prove them wrong,” he said. And he did — Danish declined to reveal his A Level results, but Raffles Press learnt that he did well. As with the other top scorers we spoke to, he credits this to consistent work, conscientiously preparing for lectures and tutorials. He also went for extra consultations with his tutors, and is grateful to his tutors who obligingly marked his many extra essays.

At the end of the day, Stephanie Siow (12S03C) feels that all-round excellence must also be balanced with a good dose of fun. “It’s important to participate in school activities,” she said.
The Vice-President of the 31st Students’ Council, who was offered a place at Yale, tells us that her class routinely went out together, to karaoke at KBOX, or spend a day at Sentosa.

After talking to these students, it appears that both a passionate interest and a willingness to try different experiences allow students to excel. At the same time, they are fortunate to receive much support from tutors, peers and family through their journey. After all, no one achieves excellence by chance.

Photos courtesy of Chen Zheng Wei, Natalia Chioang and Zhang Ziyu of Photographic Society

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