Hwa Chong International School Yearbook 2022

School Vision

Leading International Baccalaureate World School Offering a Uniquely Global and Asian Perspective

School Mission

Building Capability and Developing Character in Students to Become Independent, Innovative and International-Minded Learners of Tomorrow

School Motto

Continual Pursuit of Excellence

School Values

Independence – The Drive to Learning Innovation – The Heart of Excellence

Internationalism – The Pursuit of Humanity

Educational Philosophy

Education for All, According to Each

School Culture

Collaborative Culture of Continuous Improvement with Sustainable Performance

Desired Outcomes

Independent in Learning – Balanced, Reflective, Knowledgeable Thinker

Innovative in Value-Adding – Open-Minded, Inquiring Risk-Taker

International-Minded in Connecting – Principled, Caring Communicator

THE IB LEARNER PROFILE

The aim of all IB programmes is to develop internationally minded people who, recognizing their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet, help to create a better and more peaceful world.

IB learners strive to be:

Inquirers

They develop their natural curiosity. They acquire the skills necessary to conduct inquiry and research and show independence in learning. They actively enjoy learning and this love of learning will be sustained throughout their lives.

Knowledgeable

They explore concepts, ideas and issues that have local and global significance. In so doing, they acquire indepth knowledge and develop understanding across a broad and balanced range of disciplines.

Thinkers

They exercise initiative in applying thinking skills critically and creatively to recognize and approach complex problems, and make reasoned, ethical decisions.

Communicators

They understand and express ideas and information confidently and creatively in more than one language and in a variety of modes of communication. They work effectively and willingly in collaboration with others.

Principled

They act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness, justice and respect for the dignity of the individual, groups and communities. They take responsibility for their own actions and the consequences that accompany them.

Open-Minded

They understand and appreciate their own cultures and personal histories, and are open to the perspectives, values and traditions of other individuals and communities. They are accustomed to seeking and evaluating a range of points of view, and are willing to grow from the experience.

Caring

They show empathy, compassion and respect towards the needs and feelings of others. They have a personal commitment to service, and act to make a positive difference to the lives of others and to the environment.

Risk-Takers

They approach unfamiliar situations and uncertainty with courage and forethought, and have the independence of spirit to explore new roles, ideas and strategies. They are brave and articulate in defending their beliefs.

Balanced

They understand the importance of intellectual, physical and emotional balance to achieve personal wellbeing for themselves and others.

Reflective

They give thoughtful consideration to their own learning and experience. They are able to assess and understand their strengths and limitations in order to support their learning and personal development.

HWA CHONG BOARD OF DIRECTORS CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE

DR SIA NAM CHIE

SCHOOL MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE

MR KHO YUE SERN

HWA CHONG INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

LINDA LEE

BOARD OF HWA CHONG INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

DR SIA NAM CHIE 谢南极

MR CHUA KEE THIAM 蔡其添

MR KHO CHOON KENG 高泉庆

MR LIM CHEE KONG 林志光

MR KHO YUE SERN 许喻胜

MR SIM CHOON SIONG 沈俊雄

MR NG KIT KIEW 吴杰翘

DR SOON KONG ANN 孙广安

MR ANG MING HONG 洪铭逢

DR YIM HENG BOON 严兴文

MR JONATHAN LEE HEE LONG 李喜隆 DR HWANG CHI LOOI 黄奇锐

SCHOOL MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

MR KHO YUE SERN 许喻胜

MR ANG MING HONG 洪铭逢

MR LIM CHEE KONG 林志光

MR CHERN CHEE SONG, JAMES 陈其颂

MR SIM CHOON SIONG 沈俊雄

MR KWOK WEI WOON, JOSEPH 郭伟文

MS KIMBERLY SEAH 佘美萍

MR LIM DER SHING 林德兴

DATO ANG CHEE GUAN 洪静源

MR WANG YINGYANG JACK 王迎阳

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

MR SILITONGA MICHAEL WILSON

PROF CHEAH HORN MUN

MR LIM CHENG KEE

SENIOR MANAGEMENT

BACK: MIKE LAM DEPUTY DIRECTOR (ADMINISTRATIVE OPERATIONS), MICHELLE KOH ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL (INTEGRATED PROGRAMME & ACADEMIC COUNSELLING), JENNY LOONG ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL (STUDENT LEARNING & SCHOOL ASSESSMENT), CHIANG KY ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL (IB PROGRAMME & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT)

SEATED: RAYMOND MAK ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL (STUDENT DEVELOPMENT & SCHOOL EXPERIENCE), LINDA LEE PRINCIPAL, TAN LISSON DIRECTOR (CORPORATE SERVICES)

MIDDLE MANAGEMENT

BACK: BRUCE SIOW HEAD OF ENGLISH (IB PROGRAMME), KENNETH LOW HEAD OF CORE COMPONENTS, MARY CHAI HEAD OF CHINESE (IB PROGRAMME), JAYASHREE SITARAMAN HEAD OF SENIOR YEARS

SEATED: BERNARD SYN HEAD OF HUMANITIES (IB PROGRAMME), ARCHANA VIJAYKUMAR KUSURKAR HEAD OF IB COORDINATION, KOH LI KENG HEAD OF SCIENCE (IB PROGRAMME), LOY SUAN HUI HEAD OF MATHEMATICS (IB PROGRAMME) & KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT

BACK: MICHELLE FOONG HEAD OF HUMANITIES (INTEGRATED PROGRAMME), TING PUI CHIN HEAD OF MATHEMATICS (INTEGRATED PROGRAMME), JOANNE TAN HEAD OF ENGLISH (INTEGRATED PROGRAMME)

SEATED: CHIN YEOW CHONG HEAD OF MIDDLE YEARS, WANG JIUNN HEAD OF SCIENCE (INTEGRATED PROGRAMME), HUANG JIAN HEAD OF CHINESE (INTEGRATED PROGRAMME) & ASSISTANT HEAD OF BOARDING

BACK: JOHN RICHARD ERIC HEAD OF CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT (SENIOR YEARS), JASMINE LIM HEAD OF TALENT DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT, LAM LAI SHEON HEAD OF ACADEMIC COUNSELLING, SHARON YEE HEAD OF CREATIVITY, ACTIVITY, SERVICE (CAS)

SEATED: TEN LEU JAW HEAD OF STUDENT WELL-BEING, YONG JIN KIAT HEAD OF EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING, CHUA CHONG PING HEAD OF CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT (MIDDLE YEARS)

BACK: ELICIA LIM HEAD OF HUMAN RESOURCE, ESTHER ZHANG ASSISTANT HEAD OF ADMISSIONS & STUDENT SERVICES, ESTHER LEE HEAD OF MARKETING AND CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS

SEATED: UGERIUS PIO RAKESH FERNANDO HEAD OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, ANDREW TEE HEAD OF BOARDING, ERIC SEET HEAD OF ESTATE AND FACILITIES MANAGEMENT

ENGLISH LANGUAGE FACULTY

HACK ALISON KYEO ISSIC BALBIR SINGH

JOYCE LIM

JUNAIDAH BTE MOHD JUSIN

KATHARINE HO

LI WEIXIN

RAPHAELLA DELORES GOMEZ

ROCHELLE LIN SOH WAI TENG

TAN SU LINN

AUDREY KONG

CINDY TAN

DANIEL CHIN

GERILYNNE LEE

GILLIAN TAN

CORE COMPONENTS

HENG HUI JOO

HENG WEI YI CHEN LI GOH WEI KHENG

LAI KHONG HOO

MANDY KUM

HUANG BIFEN LUCIA LU XIANG

NG TECK SENG

WANG JIANQIANG YAP SIOA CHINS YONG CHAI MAY

SCIENCE FACULTY

ANGELIN WONG

EUNICE PHUA

GARUDANAGIRI DODDAPPA NATARAJA GOH HUI CHING

GRACE CHONG

MARK WEE

MATTHEW SOH

MICHAEL LIM

PONNANTHARI ULLAS CHANDRAN

PUSPARANEE MOHAN REMEDIOS LAWRENCE ANDREW

TAN CHEU YIAN

ER YU SENG

VICTOR TEY

ADEN TAN

NUR’ASHIKIN BINTE HASSAN

COURTNEY FU

ELAINE YEO

NARKAR MITA ABHAY

YU NANA BONITA

ALAGU S. BABU CHITHIRA D/O RAMASAMY CHONG KOH YOU

HANNAH RACHEL LOW

LOUIS CHUA

MATTHEW TONG

YEOH LI LEE

NEELANJALI OHJA

RYAN TAN SANDRA LEE

WONG CING ZING

MATHEMATICS FACULTY

CREATIVITY, ACTIVITY, SERVICE

CHAN SHI YUN

CHOW BICK YAN

LAI MING YOKE LAI SZE SING

LIM BARRY TAN KOON SAN OW SU SHING WONG YI HUI

MARY ANG RICHARD LOH

JANIS LEE LEON LEE

BACK: SHARON LAI, VIVIAN TEO, GRACE CHAN

SEATED: WENDY LIM, BRANDAN CHIA, YEE CHOI TENG, CHING BETSY

BACK: JEAN LEE, ROSALIND SIM, CARMEN WONG, MAGGIE TAN, CHUA TIAN WOON, ANTHEA SOH (MARKETING EXECUTIVE)

SEATED: DINH THI TUYET NHUNG, NICOLE LI, PHYLLIS LOW

HUMAN RESOURCE, SECRETARIAT

SUPPORT SERVICES

HUMAN RESOURCE (LEFT): TAY CHER-RIE, ANNIE KONG SECRETARIAT (RIGHT): GELVIS LIM, YVONNE LOW, STELLA SU

LEFT-RIGHT: SERENE CHEW (COUNSELLOR), HELEN TEE (SCHOOL NURSE), TEO LILY (LIBRARIAN)

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, LABORATORY TECHNICIANS

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (LEFT): (BACK)

LABORATORY TECHNICIANS (RIGHT): (BACK)

ESTATE AND FACILITIES MANAGEMENT

NURFAHMY MOKTAR BIN JOHARI, NG EK NGEE, (SEATED) JOE NORZLAN, WONG JUN JIE ANDREW

THOMAS TAN YIOK THAN, FARID NOOR HIDAYAT BIN ANUAR, NUR IZZAT BIN MOHAMAD NASHIR, (SEATED) JOY ENRIQUEZ, NASSER AMPARNA CABASAAN, LYNN YAP SOW LING

LEFT-RIGHT: SAHLAWATI BINTE ABDULLAH (WATI CHEW), CHEW MOU WEI

RESIDENCE MENTORS

BACK: SONG KAH HENG, LEE YEE TING, JOANNE FONG, SOH AIK HAN, ANDY KWOI, NG LIH MIN

FRONT: VICNI VONG, ABBY LAU, SEGUBAN ANNE GRACE, ALLOYSIUS CHING, KARINA LEE, VERA TEOH, FAN WENWEN

STUDENT LEADERSHIP

BY ARANYA VIJ YEAR

BOARDING COUNCIL

President Riko Yamamoto (IB1P), Vice President Ethan Lee Yi Chen (Y4R), Teacher-in-Charge Ms. Wong Cing Zing, Teacher-in-Charge Mr. Leon Lee

Mentor-in-Charge Mr. Alloysius Ching, Mentor-in-Charge Mr. Song Kah Heng, Vice President Hao Yian (IB1K), President Long Enjun (IB1K)

SCHOOL EVENTS

BY ZHANG WENLAN

MIDDLE YEARS ORIENTATION

ARTS

HIGH ALTITUDE

ROCK CLIMBING

INDOOR SOCCER

CANOEING

KAYAKING

SENIOR YEARS ORIENTATION

LASER

GARDENS BY THE BAY

HCIS MODEL UNITED NATIONS

VIRTUAL OPEN HOUSE

FOUNDERS DAY CEREMONY

RECIPIENT AWARD RECIPIENT AWARD

STUDENT LEADERSHIP INVESTITURE

TEDEX YOUTH @ HCIS

BALLOON SCULPTING

SABBATICAL

CAKE MAKING

SABBATICAL PROGRAMME

COFFEE BARISTA ART

COOKING

DARTS

SABBATICAL PROGRAMME

KRAV MAGA

WAKEBOARDING

SABBATICAL PROGRAMME WINDSURFING

WOODWORK (TOY MAKING)

YOGA

THE VOICE OF HCIS

“I want my voice to be heard, even just once.”

“I wanted to be a part of the new singing community.”

Juan Carlos Emanuel Belmonte (IB1K) 1st Runner Up

“This is my opportunity to showcase my interest for singing.”

Duan Yanran (3R) 2nd Runner Up

Ian Lai Hong En (IB1R) Winner

CHINESE CULTURAL WORKSHOPS

HCIS GIVES BACK

TEACHERS DAY CELEBRATION

GUANG QIAN

ZI QIANG

JIA GENG

House Teacher-in-Charge Ms. Grace Chong, House Captain Kieran Koh Kaijun (Y4R), House Vice-Captain Soh Jun Ray (Y4R), House Teacher-in-Charge Ms. Chan Shi Yun

House Teacher-in-Charge Mr. David Gan, House Captain Chin Li Jing, Debbee (Y4T), House Vice-Captain Alex Lobsang Sherab (4K), House Teacher-in-Charge Ms. Janis Lee

House Teacher-in-Charge Ms. Soh Wai Teng, House Vice-Captain Asher Low Mao Le (3C), House Captain Shi Audrey Amelia (Y4R), House Teacher-in-Charge Ms. Rochelle Lin

HCIS HOMECOMING

Specially

The cake weighed 16kg and had to be transported carefully in the lift.

Peranakan buffet spread in a nod to our founder Mr Tan Kah Kee.

commissioned jute bags with Homecoming logo as door gifts.

Homecoming banner designed by class of 2016 Ang Min-Wei.

170 helium balloons to decorate the Hall.

Tons of sifting through old photos to compose the photo boards.

HCIS HOMECOMING

At the start, every bird is like a baby pigeon, Fresh from the egg Pigeons aren’t the most magnificent Or the brightest of the birds. Though there are more majestic birds out there, The pigeons are of plenty. Like how they have to learn to fly. Some fall onto the ground many birds have fallen. Others may be slammed against the cold, harsh wind Those who fall and get back up, On their talons for another go. Will flap their stubby wings until, They take off from the shrubs. Into the warm light of the sun, Above the forest floor. They will transform, Into something more than just like a pigeon. They will bask in the glory of accomplishment. And soar, Like a phoenix, Magnificently above every other bird.

BY LEE IAN THEODORE

BY YAZMIN BTE YAZID

CLASS OF 2022

CLASS OF 2022

BY KIM JOONGYA

YEAR 4 INQUIRERS

BY

ZHANG

TIXUAN

(IB1

PRINCIPLED)

and ZHANG YIMING (YEAR IB1 OPEN-MINDED)

ACCENT ON INDIVIDUAL ASCENT ON WORLD

CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

BY ASHLEY LOW YEAR 2 BALANCED

ARTISTIC SWIMMING

SWIMMING

INDOOR SKYDIVING

DIGITAL ART CLUB

ROBOTICS

MEDIA (AERIAL VIDEOGRAPHY)

FINGER PAINTING

FAREWELL TO ALMA MATER

GRADUATION CEREMONY

VALEDICTORIAN SPEECH

GRADUAND’S REFLECTION

CLASS IB2INQUIRIES

CLASS IB2INQUIRIES

CELESTE LIAW

CREATIVE WORKS

BY RAYNER CHAN YEAR 1 CARING

A PEAK AT PROGRESS

I started taking pottery lessons a while back. It hasn’t exactly been completely smooth going, and I definitely was not a master at it in the first few months. Even now, after so much time, I honestly still suck. Yet, as I went through my cupboards and looked at my past works, I realized that I’ve come quite some way. Of course, I still suck, there’s no getting around the truth. But right now, I can one hundred percent say that I suck less. The pictures showcase a few of my pieces from when I was starting, and right now.

ATHENA RONG HUI, IB2 BALANCED

A stressed IB1 student, Athena enjoys learning random trivia facts, music, and the ever-elusive commodity of sleep.

DEAR STRESS, LET'S BREAK UP

Things were much better off when most people were children There was not a care in the world The boundless imagination followed by through-the-roof energy levels and a dedicated nap time when those energy levels would start plummeting helped the days pass easily Unfortunately, the more we grew, the bigger our problems became One of the biggest problems my generation faces is stress.

Stress plays a key role in most individuals’ decisions to work and it plays an even bigger role in the negative emotions that people may feel on a day-to-day basis.

Pressure and stress are two concepts that are often confused with each other Pressure is what you feel when you are up on the stage and speaking to a crowd of people. Pressure from one’s self is healthy as people strive to be the best version of themselves through hardship When overloading pressure comes from other people, it is called stress Stress is when a mother asks her son to get good marks to ‘earn’ a PS4 or Xbox, or when your boss overloads you with work just after an important life event occurs

Our society, being more developed than ever, is overly stressed. Students are stressed by academic demands and their teenage and young adult lives, and many adults are stressed about whether they will still have a job tomorrow in today’s unpredictable economic climate. Regardless of age groups, some find themselves asking, “Will my hard work and dedication be recognised or ignored yet again?” Many people would choose to persevere and drive themselves to a stage of feeling burnt-out, not because they are afraid of failing to meet the expectation that they have set for themselves, but failing to meet the expectations others have set for them

Moreover, since the start o pandemic, stress has been exponential rate Not only but working adults as well.

Natasha Meah from Today newspaper, stated that “1 i reports mild to severe st Covid-19.” Her article high that many Singaporeans wer their job situation. 46.7 percent of the 1000 people surveyed stated that they are scared of being unemployed and 50 1 percent were afraid of workplace problems such as being left out in projects or overlooked for opportunities or promotions, and a large percentage were scared of family members catching the virus Some were even afraid of taking leave Organisations expected more work to be completed in the same period of time and this has led to shorter deadlines and more work to do The more harrowing fact is that 8 7 percent of the group had met the criteria for clinical depression and 9 4 for clinical anxiety.

However, this is not the end of the story. There is a way to end your harmful relationship with stress and distance yourself Dr Herbert Benson, a man who has dedicated most of life to learning about how to counter stress using relaxation techniques, has some recommendations The top ways according to him d breathing, meditating, or engagin strenuous sport such as yoga or Short walks also seem to help.

gets you up and moving at Another strategy that is expressing one’s feeli the methods that I extensi use. For example, if I ha -day at school, I crack ope te about my entire day in ent all my thoughts and feel eling as if a thousand-kilo ken off my shoulders.

open up to friends, colleag t issues, or seek help fro Different cultures may ed therapy as taboo, but s as become a much more pres more and more individuals up to the idea of see p to improve their mental st ople realize that their min art of their health too. of the most important thing do as it is important to alth in check to avoid fee ading to other har urther damage to on

In conclusion, stress is one of problems that our modern society exacerbated by the recent Covid-19 people had limited opportunities However, if we know when to take relax, we just might be able to stress for good!

ADHRIT RAY, 4 INQUIRERS

Hi I am Adhrit, I like cooking, hanging out with my friends, reading books and enjoy writing about how our world is made of a fragile social system hat could collapse at any given moment and send s all into the abyss. I hope you enjoy my work!

DREAM

Suspended in time and space is my personal warm embrace.

In no specific time and place, I have much time to waste

Wandering through a reality different from mine, it’s the reality contained in my mind.

Slipping into deep slumber, consciousness becomes undefined

Transcending reality, passing through time.

Fleeting thoughts flood my mind, eternal wandering is my state of mind.

Stare into the distance, take a look through time

Rewind these moments, travel back in time.

Unsettling comfort, a familiar stranger appears in mind for it is I that I’ve found, what an unusual sign

What fine design, this dream state of mine, traversing the vast expanses of my mind.

Mystical, magical, truly divine, repeat it once more in the nick of time

LIM JIN IB2

Adding on to my ever expanding lists of interests, I have recently started listening to new genres of music and I have also been able to develop an interest in writing poems since joining the YJC

SU SHI TONG, JOLENE, IB1 CARING

Jolene is a student fr i likes drawing and tr create beautiful art w third time she has draw it still feels a bit she finds it fun an

This artwork is about a small town in Europe.

The architectural style of the town is very

simple and most of the color is white. There

are flowers growing around to decorate the

houses and make the appearance of the house

look more lively. Because of the pandemic, I

can’t travel around much. My favorite thing to

do is traveling. I’ve been thinking about

traveling in such a place that feels comfortable and simple.

HOW OUR MOBILE PHONE USAGE AFFECTS OUR SLEEP

“Sleep is for the weak”. Ever heard that saying? Other than being an obscure song and a meme, it has become a worrying phenomenon, with students bragging about how many/little hours of sleep they had and even wearing it like a badge of honour. There are many different things that affect our sleeping schedules though, whether it be our diet, our habits, or even genetics sometimes come into play. However, one small thing stands out. An insignificant hunk of metal, yet so integral in our lives, has been greatly impacting and affecting our sleep schedule Mobile phones So in this article, I explore how our phones have been affecting and changing our sleep schedules, and greatly impacting our lives.

First, we need to understand a key term and effect of little sleeping, called sleep deprivation. I’m sure that a lot of us have had that day when we sleep like 3 or 4 hours and go to school or continue with the day Sure, we might feel tired and lethargic, but we usually get the job done However, this is known as something called sleep deprivation. Basically, it means that we’re not getting enough sleep, which can eventually lead to massive health consequences

Every night, we’re expected to get around 7 to 8 hours of sleep, yet oftentimes due to our schoolwork we’re forced to look at the computer screen till 11 or 12 am at night, and after that, we scroll Reddit or TikTok endlessly, only going to sleep at 1 or 2 am in the morning. This makes us restless, and we get addicted, sometimes even pulling allnighters just to play video games or look at Reddit (not that I've done it of course) These little bouts of sleep deprivation lead to something that's called sleep debt, which is basically the difference between the amount of sleep we need vs the amount of sleep that we get

For example, let's say that we get 4 hours of sleep every night This means that out of the 7-8 hours of sleep, we would accumulate 3-4 hours of sleep debt. Over time and continued 4 hours of sleep every night, this could lead to an accumulation of massive sleep debt, and as we know, every debt must be paid This will cause us to accidentally fall asleep in classes or during important meetings, causing us to be scolded by our teachers.

S o w h a t a r e t h e e f f e c t s l o n g - t e r m s l e e p d e p r i v a t i a n d s l e e p d e b t ? W e l l , t h c a n l e a d u s t o h a v e a w e immune system and an increas r i s k o f T y p e 2 d i a b e a m o n g s t o t h e r t h i n g s I t m a k e u s b e c o m e i r r i t a and have a cognitive impai t h u s m a k i n g u s f u n c t i o e f f e c t i v e l y a n d l e a r e f f e c t i v e l y , l e a d i n g t grades. Not a very good co for learning in school. Fu i t c a n a l s o i n c r e a s e o u d e v e l o p i n g d e p r e s s i o n , a e v e n s u i c i d e a t t e m p t s suggested that chronic slee can have some correlation t a neurodegenerative diseas

the central issue, how does our phone t our sleep? Statistics show that at rd of teens sleep with their pho ults, nearly 75% of them have t hin reach when they sleep Clea not only impacts us but adults scientists have found that the ed from your smartphone affects sentially tricking the brain that it's still daytime and that be going to sleep, even though exhausted. This throws off rhythm, basically our own inte and makes it harder for us to xt, our usage of phones and consumption of content also largely affect sleep. When we watch something that exhilarating and extremely interesting, this increase our heart rate and our blood press Think of watching Top Gun or an episode of S Game before we sleep All that high-press intense fighting scenes excite us, and they potentially make it harder for us to asleep Furthermore, it can also stimulate mind, as with all the content that w consuming, it keeps our mind engaged ted, and we want to know more about what e watching, and as a result, it makes us to stay up and watch, making us miss sleep

how can we deal with this? Scientists have sed us to turn off our mobile phones, and go screen time at least 1- 2 hours before our ime, and every day, it is advised for us to at least 30mins of exercise, to ensure that e tired out for bedtime This even includes vision and any sort of blue light-emitting ce. Instead, pick up a book, or play a board with your family to pass the time before sleep This will ensure that you’re able to o bed early and on time and that you’ll have od night’s rest Although this might be hard us students, let's try to all follow this ce, and finally, have a good night’s rest.

TOH RUIYI, IB1 BALANCED

Ruiyi is an IB1 Student currently dealing with the ramification of choosing Maths HL (is not that hard lah), and choosing two science subjects HL. In an interesting twist of events, he has gotten addicted to League of Legends, which doesn’t bode well for his upcoming MYEs, and especially the IB Diploma Programme Yet he still has high hopes for this year, despite the fact that he is going to fail his Maths HL test, and wishes all the best to readers of heartbeat this year!

CHILDHOOD MEMORIES

BY UNG E-ANN

rgets and lets go of ings which happen ry single day

n to the exact moment life was back in the days in the enchanted garden of everyone’s childhood oh how precious it was where the colours were brighter, the air more gentle

and the nursery rhymes fed life to the soul

oh, where did all the time go? what happened to waking up in bed with the morning breeze singing birds

welcoming you into the fresh new day?

like a flower in a garden we bloomed beautifully, effortlessly,

being fed with every drop of water beneath the warmth of the sun as we grew into lively individuals, not being afraid of hiding our true colours

and became the best version of ourselves.

once we were foolish, reckless minds with happy genuine faces not plastered or fake chasing young love keeping bugs and insects inside jars watching them grow up and hoping so desperately to do the same but those are the memories

UNG E-ANN, 3 BALANCED

E-Ann is 14-going-on-15 year-old who loves to dance and write poetry in her free time On weekends, you can find her practicing the latest Kpop moves or in the aisles of Kinokuniya browsing romance novels

HOPE

BY UNG E-ANN

hope that thing with wings soaring high up in the blue sky do you recall every saturday morning how happy we were jams and bread filled our hands our laughter echoed through the air do you miss the accidental moments we somehow ended up in the same mess dealing with similar problems happily solving our issues with laughter we were each other’s 911

is there hope?

I ask myself every day to find that kind of joy we all once did before it always exists amongst the chaos there is always something for one to cling onto when you count stars behind clouds watch droplets of rain hit the window hear the first cries of a newborn and make bread out of flour and yeast ; that is hope

patience. when there is patience, there is hope hope for a bright future, a remnant longing locked and kept sacred at the bottom of one heart poison. careful not to be poisoned by hope it can kill one inside silently ripping out every breathe of fresh air from one’s lungs, digging deeper and deeper into one’s heart, till it’s rotting and empty, suffering from joy and answers.

if I can’t move forward, I’ll settle for the ghost of the past

THE SHIFTING SANDS

Trace the pencil Round the bend Of my knuckles

On my right hand

Down the winding Knots and ends. Draw them over Mark them with a p

Mechanical man With mechanical han Twist the pencil Round the bends

Of the knuckles Of broken hands. Covered over With blackened ink st

Stitch tired tendo Over with soft ban Of string red stitch Matching red, raw ha

Over, under, and Over, under, and The sea shores, They plunder

Over

The shifting sands. Together, we pretend That the methodical man And his methodical hands

Can save the damned, These broken hands. There’s nothing left to mend But the scratching covers over

The splutters of sea shores, Though the sands keep shifting The shifting sands

CELINE YOW FRANCISCO, IB2 KNOWLEDGEABLE

Hi I’m Celine and I love writing poetry! Recently I’ve been reading more poems and I love poems with a more solemn or bleak atmosphere, so I’ve been trying to recreate that in some of my poems However, I also do like poems about the beauty of writing and so that might be a predominant theme in some of my work.

This piece is about the medical industry’s routine treatment of incurable diseases, the illusion of hope creating a bond between the patient and the doctor As they practice this pattern of care, both parties understand the patient’s death is imminent, but they keep up the deception as it brings them comfort Death looms over the patient regardless in the form of the shores conquering the shifting sands, as a representation of the destruction of time.

The setting I imagined was a hospice by the seaside, the narrator being an elderly person using the analogy of her broken hand as a substitute for her ailing body, allowing her to detach herself from the idea of her mortality. The narrative portrays the doctor as a distant character that is only represented through his hands as he too has detached himself from the patient’s situation, being experienced enough to know not to get too attached to dying patients However, it might also be the narrator’s shock from the trauma she has faced causing her to dissociate from her situation as a coping mechanism, thus resulting in her being more emotionally disconnected with her doctor and her subsequent dehumanisation of him By the end, the atmosphere is one of hopelessness

the element of you, brilliant radiant star cutting through the darkness brought by mid illuminating, engraving your passion in my p a spear of light amongst the sea of dark viri and within the spiritual ocean of uncertainty an the dark side of the moon never eclipses your sol

crystalline ice casts snowy shadows upon the deso pirits with prejudiced eyes, those who ongues lashing rumours unwillingly rei futile, too pointless, and too late t for the white tempests wrap around dis curse! to the prayers sang in movement the light of hope has been retained; e gates of freedom are closed once aga

the angel, the devil, the mediator of mortals? hing of a perplex nature, perhaps paranormal; the winds of rumours tantalise my ears, of lucifer’s presence through the balladeers ose golden eyes arrest those who succumb, hough unable to tempt the believers numb the rose thorns coiled around their lungs.

the phantom of lilith beckons me closer irresistible temptations encased in blood red; pearly whites sinking into sweet flesh, i reminisce of your entirely rash nd warnings of the fray the darkness and its ricochet on is near, i think, lver elixir i dare to drink

the throes of licking flames, ns, ichor coursing through her veins; e queen is my only chance, pestry of lies, a dance n the realm of divinity; dare not disturb m

faith, a catalyst in exploring the cla the midnight ball arrives in a fashio obeying and calling you queen gives me the greatest treasure i’d ev a passionate waltz of sin and s solidifies the lines between friend

golden elixir, running smooth as h the loom of fate weaves thick strands loop whims of fancy precedes practical returning to your embrace erodes the notion cleansing my sins with your brillian shames of transgressions fading into the night.

as the sea meeting the horizon touches the sky, familiars start to hum a lullaby; an ode to you, a hymn of devotion and reverence, but a severance of suspencefalse aspirations end. who forgets, who ignores, who realises, who controls? the sun ascends high today and it conceals your vices and soul

YAW WENXI, IB2 KNOWLEDGEABLE

Wenxi is currently in IB1 after being in HCIS for about 4 years with a pressing need to destress through copious amounts of gaming (not healthy don’t do this) and listening to music She wishes to stay in the comforting embrace of her abode, but the cruel path of education forbids her from doing so.

THE RAMIFICATIONS OF FOOTBALL'S INFLUENCE

“O jono bonito”, otherwise known as the beautiful game, is frequently used to illustrate the spirit of football The pivotal sport of football has made an t on society since its inception and the influence of this cond to none. The notoriety and reputation of football only and it is simply impossible to imagine the status quo without port In the case where you do not know what football is, it y 22 people with 11 people on each side The game is played e the name football, with the exception of the goalkeeper and ball leaves the boundaries. To win a game, they would have to onents in terms of the number of goals scored. As opposed to ketball or bowling, games often have low scores and few goals understand the magnitude of football’s impact, it is crucial ich past

i g i n a t e s f r o m m e d i e v a l B r i t a i n d u r i n g t h e 1 9 t h c e n t u r y . lk football” were played in towns and schools During this es of the game were developed in different schools around t i o n s i n t h e g a m e e m e r g e d T h e s e d i f f e r e n c e s r a n g e d f r o m h h a n d s w e r e u s e d t o t h e s i z e s o f e a c h t e a m . T h i s m a d e emely difficult to be played across universities as their e rules of the game was innately different Thus, as early sity of Cambridge began to standardise the rules across These increased attempts at reforms led to the formation sociation (FA) which served to standardise the rules of t a b l i s h a t o u r n a m e n t f o r B r i t i s h t e a m s t o c o m p e t e i n . r e a b l e t o r e c r u i t 4 3 c l u b s a n d a g r e e u p o n a c o h e r e n t finalised the development of football From the 1850s, on and urbanisation of Victorian Britain were intrinsic o p u l a r i t y o f m o d e r n f o o t b a l l W o r k i n g - c l a s s f a c t o r y

t o t a k e t h e i r S a t u r d a y s o f f a n d s p e n d l e i s u r e t i m e football. Furthermore, institutions such as churches, e v e n t r a d e u n i o n s s o u g h t t o a s s e m b l e t h e i r f o o t b a l l influx of interest in football laid the foundations pularity of the game

e l e d s p e c t a t o r s h i p of football games be

t h e t r a n s p o r t s y s t ound Britain together

rowing prominence of the game within Britain began to give rise to business opportunities the sport Thus, this resulted in the spawning of football leagues in England in 1888 and tructure of divisions in modern football today The English football structure was soon d by other parts of the UK and later throughout Europe. Over the years, the logistics and ure of the game h ave remained relatively unchanged with the exception of inducting new logies such as VAR (Virtual assistant referee). Its rich history also allowed football to and bond people

opularity of football is undeniable and it is due to factors such as its ability to bond and football’s accessibility to the masses. In the 2018 Russian World Cup, a staggering billion people watched the World Cup to support their national team.

f the fundamental factors for football’s immense popularity is its ability to bond duals National pride and patriotism are fundamental building blocks of one’s identity and, combined with football’s popularity within many countries in the world, football became a way for people to express their patriotism. Moreover, this influence extends beyond the World Cup countries often host leagues of their own to nurture and build home-grown teams Countries such as Spain, Italy and the UK all have a plethora of divisions to accommodate the sheer amount of football teams in their country These large structures and large fan bases further cement the influence of football within these countries. Supporters often share their love for their team with each other and are great conversation starters with others. Furthermore, even in countries without such elaborate infrastructures such as pitches and goalposts, the magical simplicity of football allows it to be easily accessible and loved by the public Football does not even have to be played formally with a football; old cans and debris along the road could be the ‘football’ of choice. Moreover, goals could be set up with two objects to mark the goalposts. This is one of the main contributing factors for why football is adored within countries that do not even have proper football infrastructures or in families that are unable to afford proper equipment. Therefore, the influence of football is so immense due to its ability to spark valuable relationships and its global accessibility

In the status quo, football’s influence over the world is indisputable and it has major political and economic impact. The sport has amassed over 3.5 billion fans and has grown into a trilliondollar market The sport was even used as ammunition to settle a conflict between Honduras and El Salvador

This occurred in the 1969 FIFA World Cup qualifiers and during the first game in the Honduran Capital, the tension between the two countries was at a breaking point and Honduras was able to snatch a narrow win against El Salvador with a 1-0 score. Heavy fighting then broke up within the capital and violence struck. During the second game of the qualifiers in El Salvador, even greater violence broke out and many were injured Finally, on 27 June 1969, the play-off match took place in Mexico City The game resulted in El Salvador edging out Honduras in a 3-2 win The football matches acted as weapons and delayed the eventual 100 Hour War, which was eventually resolved by the Organization of American States.

Moreover, football also serves as a profitable market for many companies to expand into With growing disposable income in many countries, fans have a bigger demand for football-related products such as kits and footballs In a mere year, the renowned Manchester United football club earned an estimated 737 million USD of total revenue. Most of the large revenue made from the clubs are reinvested back into the club to pay the wages of their players, fund training programs and improve youth camps These factors allow for the next generation of footballers to be better than ever before and for clubs to scout talent from all over the world. Football also helps to alleviate poverty in lower-income families as talented players could be paid living wages to support their families. Thus, football’s influence extends beyond the fans to politics and the wider society

In essence, football’s influence over the world is unequivocal and its popularity is unprecedented. Football’s appeal is made up of an amalgamation of factors ranging from its ability to bond people, its accessibility and much more. The popularity of football allows it to significantly influence the world both politically and economically When taking account of all these elements, it truly is impossible to picture a world without fo otball

UTTERLY PURR-FECT

YEO SHIH ERN ELLEN, IB2 BALANCED

Ellen is a IB1 student with a deep passion for all things history. In her free time, she enjoys reading her history textbook, imagining the answers for different historical mysteries, and watching historical documentaries

VTUBERS - THE FUTURE OF ONLINE ENTERTAINMENT

With the dawn of the digital age, the inception of the i have revolutionised the way we entertain ourselves. On billion hours on YouTube every day, and some people are living out of creating content on these platforms As a I’ve recently become increasingly fascinated, and maybe exciting genre of creators on the platform – virtual YouT

First of all, what are virtual YouTubers? To put it simply, virtual Youtubers (Vtubers for short) are like any other live streamers They play video games, casually chat, sing and even draw or cook in front of tens of thousands of viewers However, what makes virtual YouTubers truly unique is their distinctive virtual avatar. These streamers utilise advanced technology such as motion tracking and computer graphics software to give their content an unmatched charm distinguishing them from any other creator on the platform And yes, there are real people behind the screen, assuming the identity of the animated persona, but most fans put less emphasis on the person behind the Vtuber, and just enjoy the content as it is Over the years, Virtual Youtubers have evolved and become increasingly mainstream, and the establishment of Virtual Youtuber production agencies such as Hololive and Nijisanji has driven it even further. The scope of Virtual Youtuber Activities has also widened dramatically, with some Vtubers even putting out highly well-received original music and organizing insane live concerts that sell hundreds of thousands of tickets (these tickets cost around SGD 60 - the writer’s wallet is suffering) There’s even an online school for Vtuber hopefuls, called the Virtual Talent Academy! Fans coined the term “The Vtuber Rabbit Hole” to describe just how endless and infinite the industry truly is; Hours of new, highquality content and even more Vtubers to watch pop up every day, so Vtuber fans will never run out of things to watch

With that settled, are you ready to jump into the endless rabbit hole of Virtual YouTubers? Sit down and get comfortable, because there’s certainly a lot to cover

A BRIEF HISTORY OF IRTUAL YOUTUBERS

To begin, let’s go back to the humble beginnings of the Vtuber Community Just like any other adorably cute, anime-related thing, Vtubers first originated in Japan before becoming increasingly globalized. Many people widely believe that Vtubers were first introduced in 2016 and the inception of Kizuna AI, a viral Virtual Youtuber with around 3 million subscribers at the time of writing Back in the m id2010s, live streaming using a virtual avatar was uncharted territory, and even though creators such as Ami Yamato tried creating content using animated avatars before Kizuna AI came onto the scene, it did not receive as much attention. What Kizuna AI brought to the content creation scene was truly revolutionary, and saying that she defined an entire industry is an understatement – she was the one w ho came up with the term “Virtual Youtuber” in her first video and went on to inspire so many currently prominent Vtubers, such as Hololive’s Sakura Miko She proved to be incredibly popular, especially with Japanese fans, and her channel rapidly grew, reaching 100,000 subscribers just a few months after her first video was posted. Kizuna AI proved many times that she was capable of making miracles happen, and even drew the attention of Pewdiepie, one of the most iconic and subscribed creators on Youtube with her cover of “Hej Monika”. Her close brush with Pewdiepie was also a huge entryway for Kizuna AI to capture the hearts of overseas viewers and expand her fanbase internationally

Closely following the success of Kizuna AI, other people decided to dip their toes into the water Vtubers such as Kaguya Luna and Mirai Akari debuted shortly after in 2017, and they too found success in this new industry, gaining thousands of subscribers in extremely short times. Some companies also saw the potential in this new genre and decided to invest in it, such as Hololive in 2017 and Nijisanji in 2018 These agencies focused on scouting talents to produce content as Virtual YouTubers, and both of them had slow starts Hololive first appeared on the scene when its parent company, Cover Corporation, debuted their first Virtual Youtuber, Tokino Sora. Sora’s first live stream only had 13 concurrent live viewers and along with other pioneers from her company, such as Sakura Miko, she had to work excruciatingly hard from the ground up to set up the foundation of Hololive On the other hand, Nijisanji first launched in 2018, debuting its first wave of eight “livers” (basically the agency’s fancy name for their live streamers) who kickstarted the agency Both companies developed original state-of-the-art technology to give their talents a persona and attempted at expanding internationally to appeal to more fans around the globe as well, opening branches in countries such as Indonesia and China From 2017 to 2019, the Vtuber Industry was slowly gaining international traction and surely expanding, but this trend would only take off in 2020

THE IMPACT OF THE PANDEMIC ON VTUBERS

I’m sure we all remember 2020, and how rough of a year it was With billions of people cooped up in their homes, most of them searched for new ways to entertain themselves without going outside, and this was how the skyrocket of Vtuber popularity began The Covid-19 pandemic greatly contributed to the rapid increase of live stream viewerships, including Vtubers. Not only did Vtubers become exceptionally widespread but they also became exceptionally profitable Fans could donate to their favourite Vtubers through functions such as the YouTube Superchat, and this further substantiated the newfound success of Vtubers To put it into perspective, the top-10 highest super chat earners in August 2020 were all Japanese virtual YouTubers, which just shows how far the trend went.

The launch of Hololive's English division accelerated this expansion even further These five multitalented, English-speaking Vtubers, aimed for a worldwide audience, caused significant ripples in the scene and became an overnight sensation. Mori Calliope, a brilliant rapper, Ninomae Ina'nis, a professionally skilled artist, Amelia Watson, a well-rounded streamer with limitless creativity, Gawr Gura, a charming Vtuber who truly knows her way around content creation, and last but not least, Takanashi Kiara, a bubbly, multilingual talent were the first five members of Hololive's English branch A large fraction of overseas viewers (myself included) were introduced to the wonderful world of Vtubers thanks to these five individuals, and many have never looked back. Throughout 2020 and 2021, many other English Vtubers also ion After seeing the success of Hololive’s English division, ced its English branch in May 2021, and several other English kt Melody and Ironmouse from the agency Vshojo joined the fray, ly climbing thanks to the pandemic. The overnight popularity of to be underestimated. As of 2022, Ironmouse is now the most amer on the streaming platform Twitch (after having an insane ) and Hololive English’s Gawr Gura, the fastest-growing Vtuber of writing As of time of editing, Nijisanji’s Hyakumantenbara

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WHAT’S THE CHARM OF VTUBERS?

After some analysis of the Vtuber industry (and watching too many hours of Vtuber live streams), I’ve concluded that the diverse variety of Vtubers is their main selling point After the Vtuber boom of 2020 and 2021, there are now over 16,000 Vtubers on the scene, all with unique designs and original content, so there’s bound to be a Vtuber for everyone. Do you fancy Vtubers with great singing voices? If so, Hololive’s Hoshimachi Suisei (the writer’s personal favourite!) and Prism Project’s Shiki Miyoshino are for you!

LUANNE LEE SZE YING, 3 REFLECTIVE

Luanne Lee is a Year 3 student who would enjoy drawing and playing rhythm games if she had free time Most of the time, you can find her trying to make her notes look pretty, watching the same 5 Chemistry videos again or looking at mechanical keyboards she is too broke to buy online

Looking for a good laugh? Hololive English’s Amelia Watson can deliver hilarious, innovative content that is unparalleled compared to any other Vtuber on the platform. If you’d prefer a more comfy, familyfriendly (to an extent) stream, the writer recommends Hololive’s Ninomae Ina’nis or Nijisanji’s Rosemi Lovelock, and for those who want the complete opposite of a family-friendly stream, consider checking out Hololive’s Houshou Marine Several Vtubers are skilled gamers as well A good example of this would be Nijisanji English’s Selen Tatsuki her First-Person Shooter Game skills are internationally ranked.

Speaking of the variety of Vtubers, Vtubers aren’t just limited to girls either There are plenty of male Vtubers out there! Nijisanji English recently launched Luxiem and Noctyx, two male Vtuber units, and they have been exploding in popularity as well This is particularl y the case for Vtubers such as Vox Akuma and Mysta Rias from Luxiem Despite just debuting a few months ago, they have already become some of the most subscribed channels in Nijisanji English.

Other than the sheer quantity of Vtubers out there, the premise of a Virtual Youtuber is already interesting enough itself Some people might enjoy Vtubers as many of them frequently interact with their fans, and try their best to form a personal connection with them Fans undeniably play a huge role in a Vtuber’s career; Vtubers often use fanart to create content and even commission talented fans to make art or compose music for them. The relationship that Vtubers maintain with their fans is an integral contributor to their success

Another appeal of Vtubers might be how immersive they are. Since Vtubers stream with an animated avatar and not their real faces, more people would find them interesting and even might be more comfortable watching them Amid a worldwide pandemic, social interaction is what many people yearn for but cannot have due to safety regulations As a result, people might turn to watch live streams to fill that void All Vtubers are expert entertainers and good at making their viewers feel at home like they are having a conversation with the person behind the screen.

Personally, the writer first fell into this endless void after being intrigued by the intricate character designs of several Vtubers, which might also be another reason why more people have been getting interested in this field of content. The artists behind Vtubers put hours of effort into their characters’ designs, to make sure each Vtuber is as unique as possible, and that was what stood out to me the most about this industry.

To end off, I would just like to say that we’ve barely scratched the surface of this infinitely expanding void of endless possibilities. If this article has inspired you to jump into this rabbit hole in any way (I’m honoured), I would highly recommend starting with the English branches of Hololive and Nijisanji All their Vtubers are incredibly talented, hardworking and absolutely deserving of your support!

Has this entire article just been an elaborate publicity stunt for Vtubers?

Yes, yes it has. I’m way too deep in the rabbit hole.

SHAO ZIHAN Y3 INQUIRERS

RENEE CHNG SHUAN, Y4 REFLECTIVE

HE YU, Y2 REFLECTIVE

GOH HUI QIN, Y3 CARING

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The Yearbook and Publications Committee would like to thank the following for their contributions to the production of the 2022 Hwa Chong International School Yearbook.

Principal, Ms Linda Lee, for her advice and unwavering support.

All our staff and students for their invaluable contributions that vividly encapsulate the Hwa Chong International Experience and Spirit.

THE EDITORIAL TEAM

MS GILLIAN TAN MDM HUANG BIFEN MS GERILYNNE LEE MS ROCHELLE LIN MR ISSIC BALBIR SINGH

Website: www.hcis.edu.sg