The Nanyang Chronicle Vol 24 Issue 03

THE NANYANG

CHRONICLE

VOL. NO.

24

03 16.10.17

ISSN NO. 0218-7310

Taking IKEA by Strรถm

Students play to their beat

In defense of millennials

Students from the School of Art, Design and Media clinch top spot at the IKEA design challenge

Three NTU student-musicians talk about how they juggle a music career with fulltime studies

Opinion writer Ginnette Ng shares her thoughts on the criticisms directed towards the millenial generation

>> Lifestyle Page 8

>> Opinion Page 17

>> News Page 2

Reviving hanfu culture Photo editor Christy Yip and photojournalist Yeo Wei Lun take a sneak peek into the life of third-year NTU student Sung Chang Da, who is among a growing group of Singaporeans reviving interest in the traditional Chinese costume

>> Spotlight Page 14

PHOTO: YEO WEI LUN

PHOTO: YEO WEI LUN

PHOTO: CHRISTY YIP

Halls introduce new residential programmes

>> News Page 4

The new buzz: freestyle drone flying

>> Sports Page 22

News

ADM design takes IKEA by Ström

A team of ADM students won the IKEA Singapore’s Young Designer Award with a storm drain that generates electricity from floodwaters Xu Qi Yang

THE process of designing the Ström System — a storm drain that generates electricity from floodwater — was so gruelling that third-year student Foo Heng Tong dreamt that he was the turbine in the model.

“I remember dreaming that I was underground, hanging on to the storm drain cover. I woke up with my hands stretched upwards and was sore for the whole day,” said the 25-year-old from the School of Art, Design and Media (ADM).

The Ström System is the brainchild of Foo and his teammates Orion Dai, 24, and Casey Kwokdinata, 21, who are also third-year students at the School of ADM. A typical storm drain is designed to drain excess water in the event of heavy rain.

The team’s innovative storm drain is aptly titled Ström — which translates to “current” in Swedish

Students from the School of Art, Design and Media found a way to harness electricity from floodwater.

— as it generates electrical currents from a turbine that turns with the force of floodwaters.

The trio emerged champions at IKEA Singapore’s Young Designer Award in September — a design competition that challenges tertiary students to come up with solutions to fight climate change.

They won the grand prize of $1,500, and were each offered a trip to the IKEA headquarters in Sweden and an optional internship

at IKEA Tampines.

A picture of a manhole flooded with water was the inspiration behind the Ström System.

“There were torrents of water coming out of the storm drain (in the picture),” said Dai. “We thought we could utilise the kinetic energy of the water and turn it into something that benefited the people.”

As water runs down the storm drain, the kinetic energy of the water turns the turbine.

PHOTO: IKEA SINGAPORE

The rotation of magnets around metal coils inside the turbine generates an electrical current that is used to power up street lamps and emergency shelters for victims and rescue workers.

With only a basic understanding of physics, the trio had to learn engineering concepts from their friends in the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering.

They spent almost every day in school building the prototype from

July to August.

Despite being familiar with 3D printing and laser cutting from their design modules in school, the process of building the Ström System was not a smooth one.

“We always had problems printing the turbine,” said Dai. The team took three attempts to print the turbine successfully.

On their first attempt, the printer’s filament — a plastic material used to make the product — broke during the printing process.

The team’s second attempt was met with a power shortage, which caused the printing to stop when the turbine was already 90 per cent completed.

They had to reprint the turbine, which took a full day.

“We printed a lot of test prints and if they didn’t look nice, we could still reprint them multiple times,” said Dai. Though gruelling, the competition was a fruitful learning experience for the trio. “(The competition) was a good experience. We hope we made our school proud, and spread word among future employers that our product design students have standards,” said Dai.

Students invent food recycling bin to manage food waste Some NTU students are changing the way we manage food waste with an invention that converts leftovers to plant fertiliser Jasmine Hoe THE last bits of our leftovers could one day be used in the garden.

A team of eight NTU students, who named themselves Second Nature, has created a food recycling bin that converts food waste into organic fertiliser.

Their innovation landed them the first place with a cash prize of $2,000 at the Aramco-Enactus Innovative Challenge held in Singapore in September.

The Challenge is an inaugural initiaive that encourages university students from five Asian countries, including Singapore, to come up with creative solutions addressing environmental problems.

Second Nature is set to represent Singapore as one of the top five groups at the Aramco Asia Cup finals in Beijing next month, where

they will compete for the grand prize of US$3,000 (S$4,090).

The team members are part of Enactus, a global nonprofit organisation that aims to improve lives through social entrepreneurship.

Egwin Fan, 23, leader of Second Nature, said: “We have such an efficient waste disposal system that people have lost the sense of how difficult it is to make food.”

This invention would raise awareness about food waste, added the second-year School of Social Sciences student.

Fan explained how the food recycling bin worked to the Nanyang Chronicle.

A chemical solution containing microorganisms is first added to the leftovers.

After the leftovers are added to the bin, the user has to step on its pedal to activate the blades within the bin to break down the food.

The food is then left to sit for two to three days to allow the microorganisms to break down the complex food molecules into simpler nutrients before it is ready

for use as organic plant fertiliser.

Member Eng Ying Qi, 20, attributed the win to the diverse nature of their team.

“What made our team stand out was that we were made up of students from various disciplines, as compared to some of the other teams (who) were all engineers,” said the second-year student from the Nanyang Business School.

The team is made up of students from the Humanities, Science, Business, and Engineering schools.

Having members from different schools helped the team focus not only on developing the prototype but on the packaging and marketing aspects as well, added Eng. As a business student, Eng’s responsibilities included developing a business model for the bin, calculating financial projections and conducting market research.

Members from the Engineering schools focused on product development and the design of the prototype, while those from the Science schools conducted experiments on existing food waste disposal methods.

NTU students emerged champions at a design competition with a food recycling bin that converts leftovers into organic fertiliser.

PHOTO: ARMACO-ENACTUS

Following its victory, Second Nature is now working on improving the efficiency of their food recycling bin.

The team is experimenting with Aspergillus awamori — a fungus that breaks down food molecules into simpler nutrients, said member Javier Tan, 23.

“Its digestive ability can be potentially enhanced to shorten

the process for our bin,” added the second-year School of Biological Sciences student.

As preparations for the finals are underway, the team’s main focus is not on the prize money.

“The whole purpose of this is to have a social mission,” said Fan. “We are more environmentallyfocused rather than gunning for pure profits.”

VOL. NO.

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NEWS

THE NANYANG

03 CHRONICLE

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Monkey sightings on the rise ACRES advises students not to feed or provoke wild animals when encountering them on campus Adele Chiang RACHEL Koh, 20, was walking along a corridor at National Institute of Education when she spotted a wild monkey sitting on a wild grass patch.

The unsuspecting first-year Sports Science and Management student soon attracted the attention of the monkey, who proceeded to follow her.

As Koh quickened her steps in an attempt to escape, the monkey gave chase, and started to pounce on her.

Terrified, she plastered herself against a nearby wall and used her hands to cover her face.

“I wanted to run away, but I was scared it would chase after me again.”

Rachel Koh, 20 First-year student Sports Science and Management

“I wanted to run away, but I was scared it would chase after me again,” Koh said, as she recounted the incident that took place a month ago.

A security guard then came over with a dustbin and tried to trap the monkey under it, but the monkey eventually leapt out of the bin and ran off, added Koh, who did not suffer any injuries from the ordeal.

Koh is one of many students who have encountered monkeys around campus in the past month.

On the same day, Bambby Cheuk, 20, spotted a monkey climbing onto a car’s windshield as a family was getting ready to drive out of the Hall of Residence 12 car park.

The second-year Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information student added that the monkey was “perched on their car”, preventing the affected family from driving off.

A video was posted on the NTU Facebook page on the same day, showing a different wild monkey

sitting on a table at North Spine’s McDonalds, licking up leftovers.

“This will spark off a chain of conflict situations (with humans), which may result in the animals needing to be trapped as an ineffective and cruel solution.”

ACRES spokesperson

Another hot spot for monkey sightings is Hall 8.

A limping monkey frequently ransacks bins around the hall, leaving a big mess behind, said Seraphina Poon, a third-year School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences student.

“It comes so frequently that my roomie and I named it Doris,” added the 21-year-old.

“My roommate’s father tried to shoo the monkey away once, but it was not scared at all,” said Poon.

According to a human-wildlife conflict campaign on the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) website, these monkeys often mean no harm and only attack when threatened. The public should avoid making eye contact with them or smiling with teeth, as these can be interpreted as threats, said the website.

ACRES also advised the public to keep a safe distance and refrain from feeding or shouting at the monkeys.

School student, along with some friends, had thrown them some fruits and biscuits.

ACRES advises the public not to feed these wild boars as it may cause them to become dependant on humans for food, causing them to remain in the area.

“This will spark off a chain of conflict situations (with humans), which may result in the animals needing to be trapped as an ineffective and cruel solution,” said an ACRES spokesperson.

He added that students should call a proper animal rescue organisation for advice and assistance, instead of pest control when they spot a wild animal.

Bats have also been spotted around NTU. Hall 8 resident Amy Ong was leaving her room when she noticed a baby bat lying at her doorstep.

“Its body was about the size of my thumb,” said the 21-year-old.

“It didn’t look physically injured but I could tell it was really scared because it kept squeaking.”

Afraid someone would step on it, the third-year School of Art, Design and Media student picked the bat up and placed it in a cup. She then called ACRES, who instructed her to leave it on a nearby tree.

“It gripped onto the rough bark really well and climbed all the way up until I couldn’t see it anymore,” she said.

“I guess this is part of the Pulau NTU experience.”

Kimberly Lai, 20 Second-year student Nanyang Business School

Other wildlife in NTU Monkeys are not the only wildlife that have been sighted on campus.

Wild boars are often spotted at the forested hill beside Hall 16 Block C, where they can usually be seen up close from the fourth and fifth floors.

Hall 16 resident Kimberly Lai said she recently saw six baby boars from the fifth level of the block.

The second-year Nanyang Business

While encountering aggressive monkeys may make for a harrowing experience, many students find that wildlife around campus has made school life more exciting.

Said Lai: “I am sure the students from other universities do not get to feed wild boars in hall or see monkeys on the way to class. I guess this is part of the Pulau NTU experience.”

Contact NTU Campus Security at 6790 5200 (24-hour) or ACRES Wildlife Rescue at 9783 7782 for assistance

SOURCE: NPARKS

GRAPHIC: AMY ONG

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New residential education programmes for hall residents

Residential mentor of astrophotography Chng Soon Siang, 26, peers through the eye piece of a telescope at Tamarind Hall's sky garden.

Launched this semester, the second phase of the RE@NTU Programme brings a host of new activities to the Halls of Residence Wee Rae Syed Muhammad Faris STUDENTS living on campus can now participate in programmes such as yoga classes and astrophotography workshops following the launch of the second phase of the Residential Education Programme (RE@NTU) this semester.

The second phase of RE@NTU saw the Yunnan cluster (Halls 4, 5 and 7), Halls 1, 2, 6 and Tamarind Hall introducing their own programmes to hall residents.

Since its establishment, RE@ NTU has been providing students living on campus with experiential, out-of-class learning opportunities.

Crescent and Pioneer Halls pioneered the programme in 2014.

The North Hill cluster and Halls 8, 9, 10 and 11 participated in the first phase of the programme in August last year.

New activities Spartan is among the slew of new programmes that students can take part in. Jointly organised by the North Hill and Yunnan cluster, it is a health and fitness programme that involves activities such as car-

dio-kickboxing and power yoga.

Astrophotography, a new programme at Hall of Residence 10, is the specialised use of photography to capture images of celestial objects such as the moon and planets, as well as large areas of the sky.

It consists of four sessions held over one academic year, conducted in three stages — basic, intermediate and advanced.

Conducted over two sessions, the basic stage introduces participants to the fundamentals of astronomy.

In the intermediate and advanced stages, participants will learn more about the photography aspect of

“(Astrophotography) isn't something you come across every day, so it's really interesting.”

Clara Lai, 24 Second-year student School of Humanities

the programme.

The first astrophotography session on 21 Sep saw a turnout of 40 participants. Held at Tamarind Hall’s sky garden, participants took turns to view planets and stars using telescopes.

“This (astrophotography) isn’t something you come across every

day, so it’s really interesting,” said Clara Lai, 24, who attended the first session.

“I’m looking forward to future sessions, especially for the photography aspect,” added the second-year student from the School of Humanities.

Other new programmes include pottery, financial management and Ceroc lessons — a partner dance that includes moves from salsa, rock and roll and other dance genres.

These programmes are conducted

by NTU staff. Students can register for these activities on the RE@NTU website or via sign-up links sent to their emails, depending on which halls they reside in.

Positive feedback The RE@NTU programmes have received promising responses from the student body since its initiation.

Pioneer Hall resident Viknesh Sangaraju, 21, got to prepare a “burger” made of desserts such as souffle, chocolate fudge and cheesecake last semester.

This was part of the Exploring the Science of Good Eating Experience programme offered to Crescent and Pioneer hall residents.

“You can’t just follow a recipe.

You have to constantly tweak your recipe and cook your dish over and over again just to get the taste right.

It’s this hands-on aspect which was the highlight of the programme to me,” said the second-year student from the School of Chemical and

PHOTO: CHRISTY YIP

Biomedical Engineering.

For Hall 10 resident Bridgel Sze, 21, allowing students to take ownership of the programmes is the most appealing aspect of RE@NTU. The second-year School of Art, Design and Media student is the chairperson of Hall 10’s edible gardening programme, where she helps to coordinate sessions and recruit new participants.

“Our members play an equally important role as well by maintaining the garden and learning new gardening techniques. We all play a part in pruning, harvesting, and planting new plants,” said Sze.

Future plans The third and final phase of RE@ NTU will be launched in August 2018 at Halls 3, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16.

After all the halls have adopted the RE@NTU programme, the next goal is to foster greater participation from students, said Assistant Director of Residential Education Marcelino Jr Navera Lizaso.

Mr Lizaso added that apart from signing up for existing RE@NTU programmes, students should also take the initiative to organise their own activities.

Currently, programme ideas are generated by the faculty-in-residence in the respective halls.

“Before we start the academic year, the faculty-in-residence goes through a planning process and submit their proposals to DAP (Deputy Associate Provost), where

we will look through to see if it is viable,” said Mr Lizaso.

Once the proposals are approved, funds will be provided to run the programmes.

“We want programmes to come from the ground, with residents sharing their ideas and running things because they want to, and they know their co-residents will benefit from it.”

Mr Marcelino Jr Navera Lizaso Assistant Director of Residential Education

“We want programmes to come from the ground, with residents sharing their ideas and running things because they want to, and they know that their co-residents will benefit from it,” said Mr Lisazo.

“The hope we have is that one day, all that the faculty and residential mentors need to do is to guide the students.”

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Chat group alerts students to free buffet leftovers on campus

Students dine on leftover food from a buffet spread laid out after a GlaxoSmithKline talk at LT25.

The student-led Telegram group has become hugely popular, but food science experts warn of potential food contamination risks Adele Chiang AS FIRST-YEAR student Marisa Lee, 20, left her lecture theatre at the South Spine, she noticed a buffet spread where caterers were sweeping nearly full trays of rice, meat and vegetables into the bin.

Thinking of the money she could have saved had she been able to eat the leftovers, the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information (WKWSCI) student was prompted to create a Telegram group chat with her friend, Valerie Wong, to alert members to leftover food on campus.

“Food is often over-catered (at buffets). After the guests have finished eating, the leftovers often go to waste,” said Lee. The group has quickly gained popularity among students, who laud it for reducing food wastage, widening their food options on

campus and also, helping them to save money.

In the first week after the group was created on 21 Sep, the locations of six buffets on campus were shared in the group. Presently, the group has more than 1,550 members.

When asked about the reason for the success of the chat group, Wong, a first-year student at WKWSCI, said: “Which broke student wouldn’t want a free meal?”

One member is third-year School of Social Sciences student Cherine Quek, who was amused when she found out about the Telegram group.

“It’s a combination of two things that Singaporeans love: free things and eating,” said the 23-year-old.

Another member, first-year R enaissance Engineering Programme student Sim Zhi Qi, learnt of the group after a friend sent him an invite.

“Most events that I see around North Spine have a significant amount of leftovers, and the food often goes to waste,” said the 21-year-old.

The Telegram group allows students to get free food and minimises food wastage at the same time, he added.

The Nanyang Chronicle previously reported that food waste in the University had increased from 72 to 78 kilogrammes per person annually from 2015 to 2016. Food waste continues to contribute to nearly half of the total waste in NTU each year.

Second-year School of Biological Sciences student Shamirah A’Azman said these buffets also offer more food options on campus, especially for those with dietary restrictions.

“For us Muslim students who don’t have as many food choices, these buffet leftovers are a good change from school food,” the 20-year-old added. So far, all the buffets Shamirah has been to are halal-certified.

On 28 Sep, members of the group were alerted to a buffet outside Lecture Theatre 8 at the North Spine.

Some 20 to 30 people arrived to consume the leftovers.

One of them was second-year Nanyang Business School student Ong Chee Wee, who was having a project meeting nearby when he received the notification from the group chat.

“I had the leftover food for dinner,” said the 22-year-old. “I don’t think there were any leftovers af-

PHOTO: HAZIM ZULFADHLI

ter (everyone) took their portion of food,” he added.

But students should be cautious of eating leftover food from buffet lines.

Director of NTU Food Science and Technology Programme Professor William Chen said bacteria can contaminate food that is left out in the open for too long, which could result in food poisoning.

According to guidelines from the National Environmental Agency, food should not be consumed more than four hours after it has been prepared in the caterer’s kitchen.

Students should arrive and consume the food within this time span, which should be clearly indicated by the caterers, said Prof Chen.

He also strongly advised students to reheat the leftover food at more than 60 degree Celsius before consuming it as the heat helps to kill bacteria.

To tackle the issue of food wastage, Prof Chen recommends adopting a more proactive approach by dealing with the root cause of the problem ­­­­— over-catering.

“The organisers might feel embarrassed if they do not (cater) enough food (for the guests), but it’s better to have less food than

leftovers,” he added.

He suggests that event organisers should require students to indicate during the registration process if they will be consuming the food after the event.

Ideally, if the attendance for events is well-estimated, event organisers should not have to deal with leftover food.

School of Art, Design and Media (School of ADM) Student Club president Mavis Lim said the club uses the attendance rate of previous events to estimate how many students to cater for.

As the actual attendance rates often tally with the estimate, these events do not usually end with leftovers, added the 21-year-old.

But in the rare case of having leftover food, the student club typically offers them to students who did not attend the event, or the cleaning staff. They only throw away food as a last resort, said Lim. The second-year student added that student clubs can play an important role in reducing food waste since most of their events involve catering food. “(The School of) ADM will continue doing our part to minimise food wastage for future events,” she said.

Lifestyle F L E S R U O Y DO IT IS TH

HAL

As 31 October approaches, Clara Lee shows you how you can put together costumes and get into the Halloween swing without causing a dent in your wallet 1: A jellyfish, a piece of sushi, and a Lego brick can make for a grand entrance.

2: The sushi roll costume doubles up as a comfortable back rest at any Halloween party.

3: Ride on the popularity of the Lego movie franchise as a lifesized red brick.

4: No worries if it rains before a Halloween party; the jellyfish costume will keep you dry.

MODELS: Nerissa Ngein, Chia Jia Jun, Yew Yan Ching Evangeline PHOTOS: Hazim Zulfadhli, Yeo Wei Lun

“Sushi is one of my favourite foods so this was really a dream come true for me.”

1 COTTON cobwebs, jack-o-lanterns, and bat-shaped cookies — these are things that come to mind at the mention of Halloween.

As many of us gear up for elaborate costume parties this time of year, our plans to dress and impress might be limited by our student budgets. Or so we think.

Here are three ways to get creative without breaking the bank.

#1 Just roll with it Pay homage to one of the most popular Japanese party foods this Halloween by dressing up as a lifesized sushi roll.

With a piece of salmon sashimi and a strip of seaweed, you can fit

right in with the orange and black Halloween colour scheme.

First, grab a rectangular pillow that is light and comfortable enough to have strapped on your back for the next couple of hours.

If you are not prepared to part with a pillow from home, head down to any store that sells bedding to purchase one for about $8 to $10.

Also, be on the lookout for orange pillow covers. These should be available for $5 or less.

Finally, what better way to get the finishing touches for your sushi than at popular Japanese dollar store Daiso?

White felt, black cloths and fabric glue can be found there. You can also find friends who want to

2

Yew Yan Ching Evangeline, 21 Third-year student Nanyang Business School

“roll” with you and split the cost for these materials.

Cut the white felt into strips and arrange them to form the V-shape cut of salmon sashimi. Proceed to secure the pieces of felt with fabric glue on the orange pillow cover.

Don a white shirt before strapping your “sashimi” on your back with a piece of black cloth long enough to secure the pillow around your waist.

Serve fresh with a side of confidence and sass.

Materials needed: 1. Pillow and orange pillow cover 3. White felt 4. Fabric glue 5. Black fabric 6. White shirt Estimated cost: $15

LLOWEEN #2 Build yourself a six-pack

3

4

Apart from inspiring the next generation of engineers, Lego bricks are also perfect for sculpting your dream body.

With a costume like this, people will surely think twice about stepping on your toes.

To create this look, get your hands on a cardboard box wide enough for you to fit comfortably.

Next, attach six plastic containers – open-end first – and secure them with glue or masking tape to complete the recognisable, interlocking features.

Plastic containers are easily available at provision shops. Of course, reusing containers from takeaways would be a more environmentally-friendly option.

To avoid creating a mess, place your structure onto sheets of newspaper and spray-paint it entirely with the colour of your choice.

“I’m normally inflexible and stiff, so this costume is very appropriate.”

Chia Jia Jun, 24 Final-year student School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Spray paints are available at an average of $3 per bottle in stationery stores islandwide.

Finally, take a penknife and cut three openings large enough for your head and both your arms.

No one is too old for Lego, and nothing says that quite like appearing as one of these toy bricks.

This costume would surely be a perfect fit at any Halloween party or gathering.

Materials needed: 1. Cardboard box 2. Penknife 3. Six plastic containers 4. Glue 5. Spray paint Estimated cost: $5

#3 Make everyone “jelly” It is high time we ditch the mainstream animal onesies and instead, show some love for a more unconventional creature of the deep.

As simple as it is adorable, this jellyfish umbrella is perfect for those who prefer some personal space at social settings without appearing rude.

Bubble umbrellas – easily recognisable by their spherical shape – are most suitable when mimicking the aquatic creature, but any ordinary umbrella would still do the trick.

“This costume really creates a lot of room for creativity because you can go wild with the ‘tentacles’ on your jellyfish.”

Nerissa Ngein, 19 First-year student School of Humanities

Transparent umbrellas from Daiso are an excellent choice and they come cheaply at only $2.

Then comes this jellyfish’s most characteristic feature – its “tentacles”. Strips of ribbon made from different materials such as silk or polyester are sold at affordable prices by length at any fabric shop.

Colourful crepe papers also add a wispy element, reminiscent of the way jellyfish move in the sea.

For a more magical quality, fairy lights would make a great addition as well.

Leave a small space under its shelter before securing the strips or wires with clear tape. This will allow you to see through your costume without obstruction.

Finally, paste a pair of cut-out paper eyes onto the front, and your jellyfish is ready to make a grand entrance at any party.

Materials needed: 1. Umbrella 2. Ribbons, crepe paper etc.

3. Clear or double-sided tape 4. Black and white paper Estimated cost: $10 Apart from booze and horror movie marathons, the real charm of Halloween and its traditions lie in dressing up and enjoying the company of friends and family.

Gathering materials and putting outfits together may be going the extra mile, but it is a small price to pay for an invaluable experience.

08-09 LIFESTYLE

TAKING THE STAGE Juggling a music career with full-time studies is no mean feat, but a genuine love for their craft keeps these three musicians going. Tiong Linshan goes backstage to find out how they do it BEYOND the glamour of performing for large crowds, being a musician in Singapore’s fledgling local music scene presents its fair share of challenges.

For three NTU students, being a performer and full-time student means sacrificing revision time to prepare for gigs, but this has not stopped these musicians from pursuing their passion.

Benjamin Mah School of Humanities

For final-year School of Humanities student Benjamin Mah, a semester abroad last year altered the course of his life — eventually leading him to pursue a professional music career as a bassist.

During his six-month exchange programme at Boston University, the 24-year-old attended workshops and open classes at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he got to watch his bass heroes Victor Wooten and Esperanza Spalding perform up close.

When Mah returned to Singapore last July, he decided to start his own R&B band, Astronauts, roping in four other friends.

“I realised there and then that I had to give music a shot,” he said.

“I realised there and then that I had to give music a shot.”

Benjamin Mah, 24 Astronauts founder and bassist Final-year student School of Humanities

Prior to his exchange, Mah had not considered pursuing music professionally. Besides playing in Hall of Residence 16’s jam band, he had only performed one external gig with local singer Nathan Hartono in 2015.

But his time in Boston allowed him to reflect on his music-making. The vibrant music culture in Berklee, with student performances put up around campus every day, inspired him to gather his courage and write his own music.

1 He said: “I think of my life now as ‘post-exchange’ and ‘pre-exchange’ for music.

“When I came back, I got my friends (together) and said, ‘We need to play music. We need to do it now.’”

Astronauts released a song in January this year, after winning a $5,000 cash prize in VOLT, a competition organised by local bar Stärker in Zhongshan Park.

Mah recalled: “We were only a five-month-old band at the time — we didn’t have the funds for a music video and we didn’t have funds to record stuff yet. To suddenly have someone come in and give us $5,000, that really kickstarted Astronauts’ journey.”

The five-man band is currently working on their extended play (EP), which will be released in the first quarter of 2018.

Aside from being in Astronauts, Mah freelances as a bass guitarist for other bands on the side.

On one particularly busy weekend in September, he was out playing three gigs — two with local synth pop group Disco Hue at Gillman Barracks’ Art After Dark event and the Local Motion Music Festival at Fort Canning Park, as well as one with Astronauts at the Tiger Street Food Festival held at Bugis.

“It’s a struggle in terms of time and energy, but it’s very fulfilling. I’m essentially doing everything I want to do.”

1. Astronauts, a five-piece band founded by Benjamin Mah, was one of two bands selected to perform at the Tiger Sreet Food Festival.

PHOTO: KYLE BUTCHER 2. Lead singer of Disco Hue, Sherlyn Leo, being in her element at the Local Motion Music Festival last month.

PHOTO: BENG HUI EN 3. Part-time disc jockey Zechary Koh — known as DJ KKAIPIE when spinning — makes the effort to put an eclectic setlist together for every gig.

PHOTO: CLARENCE LIM

Benjamin Mah

On top of his band commitments, Mah also runs a music gear store, Stompbox SG, which sells guitar pedals, straps and other accessories.

Initially, the shop was an online business that Mah started in 2014.

His business partner and fellow Astronauts bandmate Jonathan Tan came on board six months later.

This January, they took a plunge and converted Stompbox SG into a physical store at Paya Lebar.

To run his Stompbox SG business, Mah shuttles between his shop and Hall 16. His shop runs on an appointment-basis.

“It’s a struggle in terms of time and energy, but it’s very fulfilling.

I’m essentially doing everything I want to do,” said Mah. “There’s no better time to be a part of the music scene than now.”

Sherlyn Leo School of Humanities

Sherlyn Leo’s first brush with music began when she joined the choir at St Anthony’s Canossian Secondary School.

After her choir stint, she started learning to play the guitar. In 2014, she started posting six-second acoustic song covers on Vine, a now defunct short-form video hosting platform.

Now, the 21-year-old secondyear School of Humanities student is the frontwoman of local fourpiece band Disco Hue, known for retro, synthesiser-led pop tunes.

Leo’s professional music career kicked off when Zie, one of Disco Hue’s founding members, stumbled upon her Vine covers in 2014.

He reached out to Leo, asking if

she was interested in joining Disco Hue, which he started in 2011, for a jam session.

Even though Leo was not an avid follower of Singapore’s music scene at the time, her interest was piqued at the prospect of singing with the band.

She said: “I’d listen to local music, but I wasn’t into the scene yet.

When I went for the jamming session, I thought: ‘I’ve never heard a Singaporean band sound like this.’

It was super groovy.”

Leo cites local singer and songwriter Charlie Lim as her inspiration, along with her favourite South Korean hip-hop artist, American-born Jay Park.

After Leo officially joined Disco Hue, the band went on to release five tracks in their first EP, Arcade,

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CHRONICLE 03 and festivals he attended could get the crowd up on their feet.

Learning from established DJs is a big step up from his early days of learning song mixing and music production off YouTube, said the 21-year-old.

“Proper training helps me know whether what I’d been doing was right or wrong.”

For Koh, taking DJ classes also meant mastering advanced mixing techniques, like combining tracks and weaving lyrics from one song into another. It took him just two months — or under ten lessons — to complete all the classes at the academy, from the beginner to the advanced levels.

“I don’t treat DJ-ing as my job, it’s more of my passion. Doing what I really like is good enough for me.”

2 last May. Within the same month, the band was given recognition as Lush 99.5FM’s Artist of the Month.

Their latest single, Plastic Hearts, also ranked fifth on music streaming service Spotify’s Singapore Top Viral All Genres chart in March.

Since the launch of Arcade, Leo has been busy with both local gigs and touring.

She played 37 gigs last year alone — even missing two weeks of school while in Osaka for their release party held in August last year, accompanied by other acts such as Japanese band Coughs and New Zealand band The Neon City.

“I’m at this place where I have to push myself a lot to keep up with expectations in terms of school and performing, so it’s an avenue for growth.”

Sherlyn Leo, 21 Disco Hue frontwoman Second-year student School of Humanities

Though performing and writing take up a large chunk of her time, Leo has no plans to cut down on

her band commitments. Even when she is swamped with work, she always makes time for rehearsals, viewing them as a way for her to blow off some steam when school gets too stressful.

“It’s a safe space for me to let loose and be comfortable.”

Sherlyn Leo

Once, she even had to perform three gigs and submit four essays in a week during the semester.

Leo said: “I’m at this place where I have to push myself a lot to keep up with expectations in terms of school and performing, so it’s an avenue for growth.”

Loving what she does also keeps her going, she added.

“It’s a safe space for me to let loose and be comfortable. I don’t really have that in NTU since I didn’t join any co-curricular activities (CCAs), so this is like my CCA.”

Zechary Koh Nanyang Business School

What began as a casual hobby for aspiring club disc jockey (DJ) Zechary Koh took a serious turn when he joined local DJ academy This Beat Is Sick this January.

The first-year Nanyang Business School student decided to take up spinning this year after being inspired by how the DJs at parties

3

Zechary Koh, 21 Part-time disc jockey First-year student Nanyang Business School

Koh, who goes by the stage name DJ KKAIPIE, plays gigs at nightclubs such as Cherry Discotheque, Get Juiced, and Fleek once or twice a month.

He earns $100 for each hourlong gig, which he spends a few hours preparing for.

But his schoolwork still remains his priority. DJ-ing on a part-time basis works for him, as he is worried that the stress from regular gigs will cause his interest to wane.

Koh said: “I don’t treat DJ-ing as my job, it’s more of my passion.

Doing what I really like is good enough for me.”

Although he has become used to performing for crowds, Koh recalls being fraught with nerves before his first gig at Cherry Discotheque last March, where he was given the opening set.

“It was a mix of excitement and nerves. But when I got onto the stage, it became very natural... like muscle memory”, he said. Koh added that seeing his friends’ faces in the crowd calmed him down, as he knew they were there to cheer him on.

To keep his performances interesting, Koh puts extra effort into researching new songs and creating fresh remixes. On top of practising on his $399 console at home, he utilises the academy’s studio equipment to practise before 3 a gig.

While a DJ’s job may look glamorous, it is anything but easy. Koh said DJs have to constantly be on their toes, as they often have only 20 to 30 seconds to transition between two tracks.

Challenges also arise when the crowd gets particularly rowdy.

There have been occasions when drunk patrons approach Koh for song requests.

“Sometimes, if I’m playing something upbeat, and some guy requests for Starboy (by The Weeknd), it wouldn’t fit into my set since that song is more chill.

“I don’t give in. A DJ is a performer, not a boombox,” he said.

But this is all part and parcel of the job for Koh, who finds satisfaction in keeping the crowd hyped up with electrifying tunes.

“The greatest joy is when you get private messages on your Instagram from strangers saying they enjoyed your music,” he said.

“That’s when I know I’ve done something right.”

“The greatest joy is when you get private messages on your Instagram from strangers saying they enjoyed your music...

That’s when I know I’ve done something right.”

Zechary Koh

10-11 LIFESTYLE

Eating healthy on campus With increasing national attention on healthy eating, Dayna Yin finds out how some NTU students go the extra mile to maintain their diets

Brandon Na, Cheryl Koh and Calvin Goh (from left to right) enjoy their self-prepared meals that are cost-effective and healthy.

Meal-prepping involves preparing food for the week beforehand and heating them up when it is time to eat.

NTU students have a big appetite for knowledge, and an even bigger one for food.

With midnight suppers a mainstay of hall life, and tight assignment deadlines making it difficult for most to consider cooking an option, eating out becomes a vital part of an NTU student’s day.

“It’s a trade-off between academics and health,” said Calvin Goh, a second-year School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering student, who is also pursuing a second major in business.

He noticed that as exams and deadlines draw near, his schoolmates get less motivated to making an effort to eat healthier.

“I feel that even if my friends want to eat healthy, there are a lack of options in school,” the 22-yearold added.

Salads are sold on campus at places such as food court Canteen B at the South Spine and bistro-bar Pen & Inc at the North Spine, but they do not come cheap.

Lunch bowls at Pen & Inc are priced from $10 while salads from the salad bar at Canteen B may cost between $6 to $8, depending on the type of ingredients selected.

In addition, more affordable lo-

PHOTOS: BELICIA TEO

cal dishes like yong tau foo and ban mian served at canteens are not as nutritious as they seem — despite displaying the “Healthier Choice” label on signboards, both have surprisingly high amounts of sodium and calories.

The “Healthier Choice” label has come under fire recently, according to a 9 Oct article published by The Straits Times. In the article, experts call for more discriminate use of this nutrition label to avoid misleading consumers.

According to the Health Promotion Board, a bowl of ban mian clocks in at 475 calories with 2,196mg of sodium — almost half of the recommended daily sodium intake. Even an innocuous-sounding order of yong tau foo without noodles can contain almost 1,800mg of sodium.

But the limited variety of healthy eats has not stopped students like Goh, a recreational bodybuilder, from getting sufficient macronutrients, or “macros” (a collective term for protein, carbohydrates and fat), every day.

Goh is one of a small number of health-conscious students at NTU who have jumped on the wave of healthy eating practices such as

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CHRONICLE 03 “meal-prepping”, calorie-tracking and home-cooking.

“Meal-prepping”, or planning and preparing meals in advance, has become a trend for the healthconscious in the past few years, with numerous websites and studies highlighting its health benefits.

According to a recent study conducted in April 2014 by the University of Paris and Avicenna Hospital in France, meal-prepping has not only led to healthier eating habits, but also lower levels of obesity in a population.

“I feel that even if my friends want to eat healthy, there are a lack of options in school.”

Calvin Goh, 22 Third-year student School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering An avid home cook, Goh believes making his own meals is the easiest way to meet his dietary requirements as a bodybuilder.

He also shares healthy recipes and bodybuilding tips frequently on his Instagram account, @skyterrorfitness.

The bulk of his diet consists of complex carbohydrates like brown rice and sweet potatoes, along with a variety of meats such as steak, salmon and chicken.

Getting creative by experimenting with healthier bakes like highprotein muffins help Goh hit his daily protein goal, while curbing his sweet tooth.

“Because guys generally have higher metabolism and higher

muscle mass, we need to take in more protein,” he said.

Goh added: “I’m not into highend health foods, so I try to be more cost-efficient in doing research, and tweaking online recipes to cater to my own diet.”

Another student with a similar passion for healthy eating is Brandon Na, a first-year Sports Science and Management student.

Overweight as a child, Na feels that diet and exercise both played a big role in boosting his self-confidence and motivation for school.

For the past three years, Na has been an active meal-prepper.

He views it as an easy and costeffective way of tracking his calorie intake — even while staying in hall.

“Because I buy everything in bulk, it’s cheaper than eating outside,” said the 22-year-old, who estimates that each of his homecooked meals costs between $2 and $3 to make.

Na often prepares oatmeal for breakfast. For lunch and dinner, he serves up a healthier version of fried rice, cooked with chicken breast and less oil.

“It’s not that tough,” said Na. “I basically cook everything on the weekends at home and bring my meals (to school) to keep in the fridge. Then I just heat them up in the microwave.”

Though efficient and effective, students who practise meal-prepping must be aware of bacteria contamination risks, according to the director of NTU’s Food Science and Technology Programme, Professor William Chen.

This is especially so when it comes to storing cooked meals over the course of the week. Even though most refrigerated food is chilled to 4 degree Celsius, bacteria growth is not stopped but merely slowed down, said Prof Chen.

He recommends freezing food instead, as temperatures zero and

Brandon Na prepares his meals such as oatmeal and fried rice at home and in hall to cut costs and track his calories.

below are more effective in slowing down bacterial growth in food, allowing frozen food to be kept up to three months.

“Everything has a time span.

Food safety is something we must be aware of.”

Professor William Chen Director of NTU’s Food Science and Technology Programme Prof Chen acknowledged that

Cheryl Koh shows off her bottle of homemade beetroot juice, one of numerous healthy foods she includes in her diet.

people often choose to refrigerate rather than freeze food, as it tastes fresher. But given the perishable nature of fresh food, bacteria growth is inevitable.

“Everything has a time span.

Food safety is something we must be aware of,” he said.

What are superfoods?

Incorporating superfoods into one’s diet is another health food trend to hit the nation.

“Superfood” is a label for premium exotic fruits and vegetables believed to be beneficial for health.

The açaí berry is one such superfood that has taken Singapore by storm. This Brazilian fruit (pronounced as “ah-sah-ee”) is reportedly high in fibre and vitamin A, with its frozen pulp commonly consumed in “açaí bowls”, along with other fruits and superfood toppings.

Third-year School of Social Sciences student Cheryl Koh is a big fan of açaí bowls.

An active dancer and runner, Koh, 22, enjoys exploring different healthy food trends that complement her workouts and lifestyle.

“In all my smoothie bowls, I would go online and get all the superfoods, like açaí and goji berries,” she said.

She buys her superfood products off iHerb.com, an online grocery and health supplement store. Depending on the quantity and brand, they cost between $15 to $40 per order, with a pack lasting her over six months at a time.

Last January, she started an Instagram account, @allthatischeryl, dedicated to her healthy food recipes, as a passion project to learn about the specific benefits of ingredients she consumes.

She said: “I love food for the taste. If these superfoods happen to be nutritious as well, that’s an extra plus.”

But critics have warned that the term “superfoods” could be mis-

leading to consumers.

Even though they are wildly popular among healthy eaters and have garnered much hype online, superfoods are not medically proven to be nutritious, according to a report by The Straits Times last April.

One example would be antioxidants, touted as having antiageing and cancer-killing properties. However, the European Food Safety Authority found in a 2011 report that these supposed benefits were nothing more than a “myth”.

“In all my smoothie bowls, I would go online and get all the superfoods like açaí and goji berries.”

Cheryl Koh, 22 Third-year student School of Social Sciences Prof Chen cautioned students against viewing a single superfood as a “one size fits all” solution to a healthier diet.

Instead, he advocated exploring a variety of commonly available inexpensive foods.

He recommended fermented products such as miso and kimchi, as they contain microbes that produce vitamins, amino acids and fatty acids as part of the fermentation process.

Fermented products are reportedly easier to digest, and are beneficial for gut health.

“You don’t have to spend more money to chase after a lifestyle without knowing the facts,” he explained. “A mixture of everything is better.”

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14-15 SPOTLIGHT

Back to the future

He is 23, but his interest goes all the way back to 2700 BC. NTU student Sung Chang Da shares with Christy Yip and Yeo Wei Lun his story as a Chinese culture enthusiast.

A FEW heads turn as Sung Chang Da boards the bus. A blue robe extends down to his shin, incongruously juxtaposed against khaki chinos, black loafers and a canvas backpack. His oversized sleeves brush gently against the bus handles as he steadies himself.

The third-year School of Humanities student used to feel nervous when dressed in such an eyecatching piece. But today, he strides with confidence in his hanfu.

The hanfu is the everyday wear of the Han Dynasty in 2700 BC. However, the 23-year-old is neither a time-traveller nor on the movie set of a period drama. Sung is part of a growing regional movement to make the hanfu relevant again.

Like many Chinese traditions, the hanfu was lost in the seventeenth century when cultural assimilation policies were enacted in China.

But in 2003, hanfu enthusiast Wang Letian from Zhengzhou, China, sparked a revival movement on the internet when photos of him wearing the hanfu went

viral online. The movement has since spread to Taiwan and parts of Southeast Asia, including Malaysia and Singapore.

In Singapore, the Han Cultural Society encourages its members to don the hanfu whenever they meet, to promote the wearing of the traditional garment. The organisation was established in 2012 and has 873 members to date in its Facebook group.

The society comprises mostly older Chinese culture enthusiasts, and Sung was the youngest member when he joined in 2016.

Sung wears the hanfu when he attends the society’s bi-monthly meetings or ad hoc events, such as the exhibition titled Before Cheongsam: 2,000 Years of Chinese Fashion, organised by a fellow member last month.

He also makes an effort to don it during family festivities or at gatherings with friends.

During a steamboat dinner in hall for the Lunar New Year, Sung recalls how his friends were “politely

curious” when he showed up in the hanfu and later peppered him with questions about the clothing.

“It was quite amusing to see him in the hanfu because it is uncommon for youngsters to dress in traditional clothes even during the Lunar New Year,” said fellow coursemate Marian Lim, a thirdyear School of Humanities student.

“But I was pleasantly surprised that there are people who are interested in traditional things, even in this generation,” added the 22-year-old.

At home, Sung’s family does not think much of his participation in the hanfu movement. Sung describes himself as the “odd one out” among his siblings — two older sisters who are not as interested in Chinese culture as he is.

But traditional clothing is just an entry point to Sung’s greater vision: for Chinese people to regain confidence in their culture.

Young people today often perceive Chinese culture as “outdated”, “boring” or “lame”, said Sung.

But not him. He attributes his love for Chinese culture to his family’s staunch participation in Chinese traditional events, such as the Qing Ming (tomb-sweeping) festival. They would also make the sixhour-long drive to Ipoh, Malaysia, to visit their family home for the Lunar New Year, in what Sung describes as a “pilgrimage”.

Besides trawling through online forums to learn more about the hanfu, Sung has also gone for two camps in Malaysia to learn more about the Han culture, each spanning three days.

Sung eventually hopes that perception towards Chinese culture can change over time, and that Chinese culture can generate as much interest as the Japanese and Korean cultures have.

He remarked: “It’s rare for a young person like me to be so interested in traditional culture.

“I don’t expect many to share the same view but for people who care, this is something we can embark on together.”

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CHRONICLE 03 1. At home, Sung puts on his hanfu before meeting with the Han Cultural Society. Sung said he felt nervous the first time he wore the hanfu out in public, likening it to wearing combat uniform, commonly known as the No. 4, on the train.

2. Sung stands out in his hanfu as he crosses Victoria Street towards Bugis Junction. On what motivated him to wear his hanfu in public, Sung said: “If this is the traditional costume of the Chinese people, there is no reason not to wear it.”

3. Members of the Han Cultural Society — (from left) Mr Adrian Tang, 35, Mr John Chan, 42, Ms Zoe Tang, 38 and Sung Chang Da, 23 — gather monthly to share their opinions on assigned readings about Han culture.

4. Past and present came together at the Before Cheongsam: 2,000 Years of Chinese Fashion exhibition organised by Ms Gong Pan Pan, a fellow member of the Han cultural society, at the Esplanade Theatre. Outfits from the various dynasties to today’s modern qipao were showcased on a fashion runway.

5. Among the attendees were enthusiasts dressed in their own hanfu, Ms Mayka Low (left), 29, a relationship manage, and Ms Yu Meng (right), 19, a first-year student at River Valley High School.

6. A man dressed in yisan — traditional male combat wear — demonstrates traditional Chinese archery to the crowd. Sung hopes such practices can be re-introduced to the younger generation through co-curricular activities.

Visit the Nanyang Chronicle’s Facebook page for our video story

Opinion EDITORIAL

EMBRACING TRADITIONS BOTH HERE AND ABROAD RETAILERS such as Robinsons and TANGS have only just removed mooncakes from their shelves, but they have already come out in full force with discounts on their range of Halloween products from costumes to chocolates and candies.

Even local supermarkets have begun to hawk grotesque plastic masks next to fresh produce — anything for a quick sale.

So anticipated is this festival that Universal Studios Singapore started its marketing campaign for its seventh installment of Halloween Horror Nights more than two months before Halloween itself.

Such fanaticism for a piece of foreign culture lies in stark contrast to how quiet the Mid-Autumn Festival has come and gone so quickly.

Marking the end of the autumn harvest, the Mid-Autumn Festival, which falls on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, fell on 4 Oct this year.

Traditionally, this would be a celebration involving families getting together and enjoying an evening of mooncakes.

In the Singaporean context, the Mid-Autumn Festival might mean an outdoor barbeque,

punctuated by the blaring of festive tunes from the brightly coloured, electronic lanterns held by children.

What is notable is how MidAutumn Festival celebrations are fast paling in comparison to Halloween ones.

Perhaps Halloween holds more commercial potential, because the Mid-Autumn Festival does not require purchasing and dressing up in elaborate, Instagramworthy costumes.

Or perhaps we are all in pursuit of the next big thing that will make us seem trendy and cool in front of our friends.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is just one example of a Chinese tradition that young Singaporeans might be neglecting; the same might be said for the traditional celebrations of other ethnicities in Singapore, which youngsters have stopped being an enthusiastic part of.

Perhaps it is time for us to start paying more attention to our local cultures.

Certainly, we can respectfully welcome new traditions like Halloween without disposing of the ones we inherited.

Let us not lose our own identity while in the pursuit of others.

THE NANYANG

CHRONICLE CHIEF EDITOR

OPINION EDITOR

LAYOUT SUPERVISOR

MANAGING EDITOR

SPORTS EDITOR

PRODUCTION SUPPORT

SUB-EDITORS

ONLINE EDITOR

Dewey Sim Paige Lim

Adora Tan Ignatius Koh

NEWS EDITORS Gracia Lee Natalie Choy

Khairul Anwar Candy Choo

PHOTO EDITOR Christy Yip

Yeo Kai Wen Joe Tok Kenny Wong

FACULTY ADVISORS

Wu Shangyuan Zakaria Zainal

GRAPHIC EDITOR

LIFESTYLE EDITORS Alicia Teng Jovi Ho

Chloe Then

Reynard Adrianto

BUSINESS MANAGERS Vanessa Tan Vinice Yeo

A students’ newspaper published by the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information (WKWSCI) Nanyang Technological University 31 Nanyang Link, Singapore 637718 Tel: 6790 6446

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GRAPHIC: DIANE LIM

Hey millennials, you are doing fine Ginnette Ng FACEBOOK is usually a space for sharing new memes or discovering easy dinner recipes.

But of late, it has been inundated with articles beginning with “millennials are too” or “millennials need to”.

It feels like we can never stop disappointing the generations that have come before us.

The term, ‘millennial’, used to describe those of us who grew up with information technology, has become more condescending these days.

I was disheartened after reading The Straits Times’ coverage of the Social Entrepreneurship Forum last month, where similar comments were made by our Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Education.

Associate Professor Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim said he was worried about how some millennials adopt a “what’s in it for me?” attitude towards community service and charity.

I found his comments unjustified, partly because they were based on a survey of mostly Republic Polytechnic students, where two in five could not name an organisation they would support.

While this is not representative

of the entire millennial generation, which encompasses everyone aged 18 to 34, the article led to many non-millennials nodding their heads in agreement with the comments he made.

This is despite research which found more millennials wanting to make a positive impact on the environment, at 72 per cent of those surveyed in Nielsen’s global report dated two years ago.

Some of my friends and classmates, for instance, actively organise annual trips overseas for community service programmes and raise money for charities.

These might be modest attempts at improving society, but they still beat doing nothing at all.

At least we are trying.

Not to mention, the self-serving attitude that Prof Faishal spoke of is neither new nor exclusive to the younger generation.

Selfishness is an innately human characteristic — a survival instinct.

Russian philosopher Ayn Rand has argued that it would be irrational to act against one’s own interest and desire for happiness.

Yet, some from our parents’ generation have criticised our preoccupation with finding the dream job,

lending to stereotypes of millenials being “spoiled” or “entitled”.

No one should have to feel ashamed about their pursuit of happiness, and that includes us millennials too.

That is why some of us actively try to transform what we love into a career, and these millennials should be commended.

Take Ms Viola Tan and Ms Rachel Lim, co-founders of clothing label Love, Bonito, for example.

What started out as a blogshop in Ms Tan’s days in the former School of Humanities and Social Sciences at NTU has now become her fulltime career heading a regionally successful brand.

Indeed, the “what’s in it for me?” attitude can push us to think and plan for our future, spurring us on towards finding creative solutions that can satisfy both the wants and needs in our lives.

Some of us will be inventing the next big thing; others are already thinking of ways to support our family when we graduate.

Instead of trying to prove the Baby Boomers wrong, or explaining ourselves to Generation X, we should continue to do what we know is best for us.

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Lessons Singapore football can learn from its swim team Ignatius Koh Sub-Editor TWO of Singapore’s biggest sports have come under scrutiny in recent years.

While the Republic’s national swimmers have scaled to unprecedented heights in regional and international competitions, our footballers have been languishing in mediocrity.

As a football fan, it has been disappointing to see our national sport in the doldrums and I cannot help but compare the state of football to the achievements of our current number one sport — swimming.

When Joseph Schooling touched the wall first in the 100 metre butterfly event at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games, I rejoiced with fellow Singaporeans as a new national hero was born.

But Schooling’s success definetely did not come easily.

It was a culmination of 15 years of training and more than $1.35 million of investment from his parents that finally led him to win Singapore’s first Olympic gold medal.

With the Singapore Swimming Association setting up a $725,000 fund last December aimed at helping up-and-coming youth athletes in aquatic sports, the future looks bright for the swim team.

But these jubilant poolside celebrations are in stark contrast to Singapore football’s woes on and off the pitch.

It pained me to see a dejected Irfan Fandi, son of football legend Fandi Ahmad, burying his head in his hands after Singapore’s defeat to rivals Malaysia at the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in August.

It summed up the team’s current lack of calibre.

The battle against Malaysia effectively knocked Singapore out of the Games, with the team also losing to Myanmar.

That marked the sixth time in nine SEA Games in which Singapore failed to progress from the group stage.

Singapore football has been plagued by dwindling attendances, unattractive salaries, and more recently, a funding cut for the SLeague, the country’s only professional football league.

I recently watched a Singapore Cup match between Albirex Niigata, the current league leaders, and Home United, a traditional powerhouse in Singapore football.

It did not surprise me to see many empty seats, as this has been the case for many years.

The funding cut — from $16 million to $8.5 million — by the Tote Board, which provides annual subsidies to the league, has caused negativity to trickle down to the athletes as well.

As a result, many players are be-

GRAPHIC: REYNARD ADRIANTO

coming disillusioned with a football career.

Mr Philippe Aw, S-League Hougang United’s coach, told The Straits Times: “I won't blame my players if they end up doing something like driving for Uber. At the end of the day, they have to put food on the table for their families.”

Furthermore, according to a report by The Straits Times in June, the Lions only won a meagre 10 out of 62 matches from 2014 to 2016 across the Under-14 to Under-23 age groups.

Since national coach V. Sundramoorthy took over last May, the senior team has only won two out of 17 matches.

It is easy to lose hope, given the dire statistics.

But there is no shortage of football talent despite the current pessimistic outlook.

The rise of Irfan and his brother Ikhsan, aged 20 and 18 respectively, and national vice-captain Hariss Harun, now 26, is testament to that.

Irfan was rated as one of the 40 best young talents in world football

by British newspaper The Guardian in 2014 while Hariss won the Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup in 2015.

What sets swimming and football apart, however, is not their abilities to unearth youth prospects — it is the difference in the help they have received in developing world-class

athletes for these two sports.

Schooling, 22, was granted National Service (NS) deferment to train at the University of Texas at Austin in the build-up to his Olympic winning event.

This led to an extension of his deferment until the Tokyo 2020 Games to help him surpass his feat.

Quah Zheng Wen, 21, another top young swimmer who also extended his NS deferment, moved to the United States to compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) with the University of California at Berkeley in January this year.

Barely two months later in March, he clinched second place in the men’s 200 yard butterfly at the NCAA Division I Men's Swimming and Diving Championships.

In contrast, Irfan and Ikhsan spent two promising years at Chilean top flight team Club Deportivo Universidad Católica from 2014 to 2016, but had to return home to complete their NS obligations.

I know that the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) could have supported the duo better — Irfan had to reject a four-year professional contract from Universidad Católica to serve NS. “The next one year or so will be very tough for me in terms of my development because my NS training means I won’t get to play as much football as I do now,” Irfan

told TODAY before his enlistment a year ago.

No Singapore footballer has been able to defer NS, which comes as a shame because they cannot train and develop as much as their counterparts across the world.

Singapore can definitely take a leaf out of South Korea’s book regarding conscription, where Olympic medallists and Asian Games gold medallists are exempted from military service.

A similar arrangement would suit our sporting needs well as it would provide more incentive to the male athletes, who can train without worrying about their NS call-up.

Without a doubt, I believe that the FAS can do more for the nation's footballers.

In fact, the reason why Irfan and Ikhsan could train in Chile was mostly down to their father Fandi, the head coach of Singapore’s youth teams, who worked to find suitable foreign clubs for them.

Granted, the FAS has supported players such as national goalkeeper Izwan Mahbud, 27, and midfielders Shawal Anuar and Gabriel Quak, both 26, by sending them to second-tier Japanese side Matsumoto Yamaga for trials over the last two years.

But these were only short twoweek stints that merely exposed them to a portion of the level they have to reach in order to improve —

Japan is the second-ranked Asian team while Singapore is ranked 31st on the list.

Despite these shortcomings, I still see some hope for Singapore football — only if the FAS decides to show greater support for local football players.

16-year-old national youth footballer Ben Davis signed a two-year scholarship with second-tier English side Fulham Football Club in July and has applied for his NS deferment.

The FAS has agreed to support Davis’ deferment, which will be considered by Sport Singapore, the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY), as well as the Ministry of Defence.

The organisations only need to look at swimmers Quah and Schooling to see how local football can benefit from an NS deferment.

At the same time, the FAS is preparing to present future plans, which include allowing young players more regular game time, to the MCCY to show that it can reinvigorate the ailing S-League.

If the younger players play more, they may see a future for themselves in the local football scene.

But it will be awhile before Singapore football can rise from its current ashes and reignite the fervent support of old.

One thing is for sure, I will be eagerly waiting.

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canteen talk

What are your thoughts regarding the NTU Confessions Page post by a supposed undergraduate who described her SCDF boyfriend's job as "low class"?

Redefining success in Singapore

“

The guy's stand is that he's going for his passion, to protect the country. I feel that the guy is not wrong to make the decision. The girl is a bit too materialistic.

Marcus Chia, School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Year 2

“

It's a very respectable and noble job. I mean, they sacrifice their lives just to protect the nation and protect us.

Cheryl Lim, School of Social Sciences Year 2

“

Other than the fact that I will be concerned for his safety, I will support my boyfriend if he wants to sign on to SCDF. Eileen Lin, School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Year 2

“

Every job has a role to play in this society in order for society to be fully functional. At the end of the day, what matters is if you're happy about it, and if society can progress towards a sustainable future.

Lionel Kok, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering Year 4

GRAPHIC: DIANE LIM

Candy Choo Digital Editor “DIRTY job” or “low class”? These are not the usual terms that many would use to describe a firefighter or a police officer.

Embarrassingly, a recent post on the NTU Confessions Facebook page shows how some Singaporeans still believe in class distinctions between different lines of work.

The student who commented was looking for advice on the anonymous confessions page.

She said her parents looked down on her boyfriend’s choice to serve full-time in the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).

Many netizens responded harshly against this anonymous user.

Some questioned her “backward thinking”, while others strongly advised her to leave her boyfriend “for his own good”.

I was heartened by the sheer number of netizens expressing their disdain for this classist behavior.

A follow-up post by the boyfriend said he has since broken up with this “pampered princess”, garnering the support of many netizens.

To begin to understand the roots of such discriminatory rhetoric, we need to first take a step back and look at the value of a university degree in Singapore through the years.

Having a university education was not common back in the ’80s and ’90s.

Then, not many could afford tertiary education and they often joined the workforce as soon as they could to help contribute to their families’ incomes.

Only the lucky few who could attend university were able to enjoy considerably better prospects when seeking jobs.

But as more people aimed for a university degree, employers began increasing the education requirements for their employees.

With a large pool of university

graduates to choose from, a degree holder was favoured as employers saw them as better quality hires.

In turn, this cycle has perpetuated the paper chase in Singapore.

To feed the demand for university education, the government plans to provide enough places at public universities for 40 per cent of the cohort by 2020, up from 35 per cent this year.

To accomplish this, the government has recently restructured private institution SIM University (UniSIM) to become the sixth public university, the Singapore University of Social Sciences.

For those hell-bent on getting a degree but did not make it to a public university, they have 37 other private institutions to choose from such as Kaplan and PSB Academy.

Certainly, we have too many university graduates.

According to the 2017 Graduate Employment Survey (GES), a total of 15,562 students graduated from five of our six public universities last year.

The GES was jointly conducted by the five universities, together with the Ministry of Education. It compiled employment rates among recent graduates, as well as their starting salaries.

Yet, only 80.2 per cent of these graduates landed full-time jobs within six months of graduation.

This is the lowest rate since the GES started in 2012.

It is even more difficult for graduates of private schools, as only 58 per cent found full-time jobs within six months.

Given the statistics, joining the SCDF is a wise choice since degree holders can earn up to $4,550 as a Lieutenant for their basic pay.

Now, compare that to the median starting salary of graduates which stands at $3,360 last year.

Our society seems to place more value on white-collar jobs rather than blue-collar ones, especially when the former is believed to pay better and allow relative comfort.

But there is no incentive for young Singaporeans to get their hands dirty.

With Bangladeshi labourers getting only $1,000 a month, employers will be less inclined to hire Singaporeans instead.

What I hope Singaporeans understand is that desk-bound jobs may not be suitable for everyone.

Junior lawyers and accountants in Singapore, for instance, are already experiencing the burnout.

The Straits Times reported in early September that many have left these professions due to long working hours and heavy workloads.

In America, a high-powered Silicon Valley attorney died in July 2015 from a bacterial infection related to his drug consumption.

Evidently, white-collar jobs have their downsides as well.

I remember a talk during my junior college years, where a teacher spoke about his job in a multinational corporation.

He was always confined to the meeting rooms and he was not happy at all. After a few years, he decided to become a teacher as he found it to be more fulfilling.

If we picked careers based on how big the paycheck was, we might never be truly happy. There will always be more money to earn, a bigger promotion to chase.

Instead, we could all learn to be more content with what we have by striving for balance instead of excellence. Perhaps then we wouldn’t be so stressed out looking for the next best job.

As Confucius famously said: “Choose a job you love, and you will never work a day in your life."

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One more episode won’t hurt

GRAPHIC: REYNARD ADRIANTO

Adeena Najib

A few months ago, I bingewatched 54 one-hour episodes of Peaky Blinders every day for four days. Tuning in to the British gangster drama with an attractive Cil-

lian Murphy at its helm was my idea of bliss.

Since subscribing to the online video streaming site Netflix, I no longer just consume one episode at a time. I usually consume the entire season — or even seasons — of the programme at a time.

Binge-watching, the practice of

louder than words

watching several episodes in one sitting, is a cultural phenomenon that is gaining more popularity with online movie streaming services like Netflix and Hulu.

These streaming services practise full-season release models, letting users watch complete episodes at their convenience without pesky

commercial breaks.

Since then, I have never watched a lone episode. This is especially so for shows with cliffhangers. I find myself getting hooked on shows easily, where one episode often turns into four.

Today, binge-watching is no longer a trend but the norm. In a 2017 survey by Deloitte, a professional consultancy firm, 70 per cent of Netflix users binge-watch, at an average of two to three episodes each time.

As a binge-watcher myself, I was pleasantly surprised to discover from scientific research studies that this is not such a harmful activity after all.

Binge-watching can actually increase the viewer’s emotional intelligence. A study by the American Psychological Association suggests binge-watching can heighten one’s understanding of plot changes and conflicting layers to a story.

Watchers become more empathetic and sensitive towards the characters because they actively participate in a character’s thought processes and decision making.

When I watch my favourite Netflix series, I end up feeling a deeper emotional connection with the characters in the show. This connection then becomes the main motivation for me to move on to the next season.

Also, binge-watching brings about an improved experience by immersing the viewer in the film scenes. Imagine being transported into the world of Orange Is the New Black, trapped in Litchfield Penitentiary, listening to Piper Chap-

man share her latest plan.

This is why binge-watching can evoke strong reactions from audiences, from laughter and disgust to feelings of being completely mindblown. The immersive nature of binge-watching may even be addictive. Personally, this sense of inclusion facilitated by binge-watching is why I find myself hooked on so many programmes.

With the culture of binge-watching, screenwriters have begun producing higher calibre shows, like House of Cards, as they no longer have to dilute and limit content based on screen times.

That said, while studies show prolonged periods of television watching may bring about positive effects, it is necessary for viewers to be aware of its potentially detrimental effects as well.

Last month, the University of Melbourne revealed that watching more than five hours of television in one sitting can impact one’s long-term memory.

Extreme cases of binge-watching can also cause an increased risk of inflammatory diseases, according to a Baker Hearts and Diabetes Institute study conducted last month.

While it may be tempting to indulge in a whole season of Friends, it may not be healthy to do so in the long run.

Should we find ourselves forgoing sleep or delaying assignments in the process of binge-watching, then it may be best to switch it off.

If we are able to binge-watch within our limits, then we should let ourselves indulge in that one more episode.

Sports

Cheating with the right meals

For athletes with strict dietary regimes, having cheat meals can throw them off their meal plans, unless they follow these rules religiously Adeena Nagib STICKING to a diet is never easy. After weeks of cutting down on sugar, carbohydrates and fats, many athletes who diet await their scrumptious reward — a cheat meal.

Fried chicken, hamburgers and ice cream sundaes make up a typical cheat meal, often adopted by athletes and health enthusiasts alike who need a respite from their dietary regimes.

Even though cheat meals are not part of their diet, such junk food can keep sportsmen motivated and act as an added incentive for them to keep working out.

But consuming too many calories in just one meal can render one’s diet fruitless as the body will gain more weight than it has burnt off.

An active individual is recommended to consume about 1,900 to 2,500 calories a day. But an average hamburger with a side of fries already totals 1,300 calories.

Cheat meals, usually a weekly or monthly occurrence, tend to upset

one’s diet. Without proper discipline, straying from a diet can also lead to overeating.

Ng Choon Yeow, 24, has struggled with keeping to a diet because of the nature of his sport.

Being a national weightlifter, the third-year Sport Science and Management (SSM) student has to put on or lose weight depending on the weight class he has been designated for competitions.

Ng’s usual weight class of under

“If you eat a cheat meal once a month, it would have little impact in the long-term.”

Dr Stephen Francis Burns Associate Professor National Institute of Education 85 kilogrammes will require him to cut his normal weight, by incorporating smaller meals to his diet two weeks before weigh-ins.

He said: “I start by eating half of what I normally do and then lay off carbohydrates and eat more pro-

teins. I get so hungry sometimes, but it’s the life I chose.”

Ng, who trains six times a week, admits that he does indulge in durian and sashimi on occasion, despite having to work harder in the gym the next day.

But according to Dr Stephen Francis Burns, Associate Professor from National Institute of Education, cheat meals can be detrimental to an athlete’s performance, especially when consumed before competitions.

That said, cheat meals can be advantageous, but only if certain rules are followed.

Dr Burns, who has a PhD in exercise physiology, encourages dieters to have cheat meals in the offseason and holidays. He said: “It’s pointless to train hard and then break your diet.”

“But if you eat a cheat meal once a month, it would have little impact in the long-term.”

As such, cheat meals have to be planned. They are best eaten on intensive exercise days, at least a month prior to competitions, to create calorie deficits before eating.

This means that more calories are burnt before they are consumed.

Such days can also be planned on occasions like birthdays or weddings when less healthy food is likely to be consumed.

Daniel Chan, 24, incorporates

“It’s a guilty pleasure. I put my body under great punishment for dieting, so cheat meals let me feel human once in awhile.”

Daniel Chan, 24 Third-year student Sport Science and Management cheat meals into his diet around important events so that he “doesn’t miss out on hearty food”.

“I close an eye on my diet during weddings and buffets. I don’t mind the extra calories as long as my stomach’s happy,” said Chan, who is also a third-year SSM student.

The triple jumper from NTU’s athletics team is of Peranakan descent, and enjoys his mother’s nyonya cooking of sambal buah keluak and mee siam, although these dishes contain high amounts of fat.

“It’s a guilty pleasure. I put my body under great punishment for dieting, so cheat meals let me feel

human once in a while,” he quipped.

Other guidelines for cheat meals include reducing alcohol intake, keeping hydrated, staying away from processed food, and consuming meals that are high in protein and carbohydrates, but low in fat.

When done right, cheat meals can also help to increase one’s metabolism, as well as overcome weightloss plateaus.

Leptin, a hunger-control hormone, increases with higher calorie intake, in turn burning stored fat and diminishing one’s appetite.

It also provides a mental reprieve, which helps athletes stick to their diet regimes for longer.

While the general consensus is that cheat meals are loaded with sugar, Dr Burns advocates the benefits of consuming them.

“Simple sugars and high glycaemic index carbohydrates in your cheat meals (can help you) recover more rapidly from exercise,” he said.

“Sugars are also needed by muscles during high intensity exercises.

A Tour de France rider, for example, may consume up to 2,000 kilocalories from sports drinks alone in a five hour stage,” Dr Burns added.

Athletes can also opt for healthier choices like salmon nigiri and tuna sashimi, rather than sushi rolls that contain fats from their sauces. Nigiri and sashimi contain raw fish, which is a nutritious alternative.

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Soaring through the skies, drone-style The newest televised sport on ESPN is gaining popularity in Singapore and NTU Kimberly Kwek A BLACK blur zips by, throttling towards a tree at full-speed. Just as a collision seems imminent, the drone dips sharply, squeezing through small gaps between the branches.

Once out of the maze of branches, it performs a series of 360-degree turns and shoots up skywards. It hovers above the field for a split second, before freefalling and stopping inches above the ground, ending the run with a graceful landing.

This show of aerial acrobatics is what one can expect to see at a first-person view (FPV) freestyle drone flying event.

Drone pilots, with their feet planted firmly on the ground, don a pair of goggles that allows them to pilot the drone from a firstperson perspective through a live stream, from a camera attached to the drone.

“They (drone pilots) have a lot of obstacles to fly around and they really test their skills to make a good video with all these obstacles,” said FPV freestyle hobbyist, Rayne Toh, 24, a final-year student from the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE).

Tricks in the air

FPV freestyle flying involves manoeuvring drones around obstacles and through small openings.

The flight is judged by a panel of professional pilots and is based on three categories: difficulty of tricks, flow of flight, and the use of the course and obstacles.

There are three main difficulty levels: easy, medium and hard.

Easy tricks consist of, but are not limited to, flips, intentional ground

First-person view freestyle drone flyer Foo Ren Xiang builds and flies his own drones.

hits or skids, and passing through large gaps slowly.

Medium tricks include passing through small gaps and power loops, where the drone makes giant loops in the sky, and hard tricks involve drones flipping or rolling through tiny gaps and more.

The flight is also judged on how smoothly choreographed it is — whether the routine flows well and does not consist of just arbitrary tricks strung together.

Despite FPV freestyle flying being a relatively unknown sport in Singapore as compared to drone racing, which has burgeoned into a million-dollar industry, a group of NTU students share the passion of building their own quadcopters — a type of drone with four rotors — and flying freestyle.

One of the enthusiasts is Foo

Ren Xiang, a member of the NTU Aerospace Society, a student community that focuses on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) building and flying.

Foo explains that drone racing involves completing an obstacle course as fast as possible.

“For racing, it’s like a Formula One course where you have a specific goal — racing the same lap over and over,” said Foo, 25, a freestyle flying hobbyist.

“But in FPV, you can do things like flips, rolls, going through small gaps; basically anything you want,” added the third-year student from the School of EEE, who flies his quadcopter at least once a week.

Foo’s interest in UAVs developed last May after learning about them during his lessons. He felt that flying offered a different experience from

PHOTO: CHRISTY YIP

regular vehicles and allowed him to perform gravity-defying stunts.

Foo then got into FPV freestyle flying six months later.

He believes the sport offers a “more thrilling” experience as compared to drone racing.

While there are few FPV freestyle flying competitions in Singapore, there are global competitions held online. To submit their entries, participants have to use a specific hashtag for the competition when they post on their social media platforms such as Instagram, YouTube and Facebook.

Physical competitions are held more often in countries like Australia and the United States, where drone racing is more popular and widespread.

At the World Drone Prix 2016 Premiere in Dubai — one of the biggest drone competitions in the world — the winner of the freestyle category took home a prize of US$50,000. The winner for the competition’s drone race was a 15-year-old boy from the United Kingdom who bagged US$250,000.

The event drew more than 2,000 spectators, with the live stream of the event bringing in 255,000 online viewers.

Starting from scratch

A member of the NTU Aerospace Society configures his drone during a meeting.

PHOTO: NTU AEROSPACE SOCIETY

Freestyle flying enthusiasts interviewed by the Nanyang Chronicle said part of their enjoyment comes from the process of building their own drones.

For Toh, the sense of accomplishment is what makes building his own drones more enjoyable than flying those that are already built.

“It’s customised to your own liking. You know your own drone better than if you just buy it from

the market,” he said.

“One reason for me doing this is also to learn the whole system of the UAV and how to optimise it,” said Foo. Having a background in engineering has also helped the students construct better drones as they can apply theories learnt during their courses.

But the downside is that they have to bear the cost of building the drones, as well as the damages that come along with it.

“When you crash, you try to make sure that the parts do not break or else it can be quite costly,” said Foo. His drone cost $350 to assemble, with parts ranging from $5 for its carbon fibre frame to over $100 for its four motors.

Technological advancements mean drones also require frequent upgrading of parts.

“One year later, there’s actually nothing that is the same except for the frame. The electronics and motors have changed, new software and hardware are coming out,” Foo said, referring to a particular model he started assembling last November.

For beginners and experienced hobbyists alike, building a drone from scratch might seem daunting.

But YouTube has made learning easier with various tutorial videos available that explain the technical aspects of the sport.

Mastering the routines and trick to perform, however, come with experience and experimentation.

“It’s a lot of trial and error.

Every time you crash, you learn something from it and improve on it the next time,” said Toh.

Making waves

Besides FPV freestyle flying, the NTU Aerospace Society also concentrates on another UAV activity — fixed-wing flying. It is more plane-based, as compared to multirotor drones, but the club has plans to shift its focus to drones this academic year.

“We realised that drones are getting more popular and you can do more things than just flying at a university level,” said Wang Jingbin, 21, president of the NTU Aerospace Society.

“You can do more DIY, especially for the engineering students.”

“Freestyle flying is less popular and more difficult to pick up,” explained Wang, a third-year student from the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.

But Foo is confident that FPV freestyle flying will eventually become more popular in Singapore.

He said: “I think when you start flying, the key thing you want to do is tricks. Everyone already does a bit of that.”

With growing interest and participation in drone sports, FVP freestyle flying could be generating a huge buzz on our shores soon.

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Combat sports: safety first NTU students call for more stringent safety guidelines and regulations in light of the muay thai tragedy at the AFC last month Darren Ching THE sudden death of veteran bodybuilder Pradip Subramanian in a celebrity muay thai boxing match at the inaugural Asian Fighting Championship (AFC) last month has cast a spotlight on the local combat sports scene and the safety of these events.

After losing a fight against YouTube personality Steven Lim, Pradip was rushed to the Singapore General Hospital where he reportedly died from a “cardiac arrest respiratory failure episode”. He was a last-minute replacement for former Singapore Idol contestant Sylvester Sim, who had to pull out due to insurance issues.

Pradip’s death has since raised questions over the safety protocols of the event. It has also sparked safety concerns among students, given the growing popularity of combat sports at universities.

NTU's Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) and muay thai clubs combined in 2013 to form the NTU Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) club.

From slightly over 100 members before the merger, the club currently has more than 500 members.

Experienced MMA fighters said that while they suffer from the usual array of injuries, from minor sprains to dislocations and fractures, the sport is safe when members do not stray from the safety guidelines and instructions from

Trainer Raziq (red sleeves) demonstrates a move before students try it for themselves. He ensures that students do not try out vigorous moves that might injure them.

PHOTO: BELICIA TEO

their coaches.

Glen Lee, 23, a second-year Sports Science and Management (SSM) student, who is going into his ninth year of fighting, said: “It just takes discipline. Make sure you have your safety equipment like mouth and groin guards in place before training."

Aside from having the appropriate protective gear, combat sports athletes also have to go through rigorous training before they are allowed to spar.

“Before novice judo athletes can

fight, they are drilled with the basics of falling and throwing," said Adam Chua, also a second-year student from SSM and a member of the NTU judo club.

“During BJJ training, we have two coaches who go around when we spar. They actively call out to members to tap out. It's not just about winning.”

Ng Yi Hao, 22 President NTU MMA

During sparring practices, members are monitored to ensure they execute the moves accurately to prevent injuring each other.

PHOTO: NTU MMA

“Our coaches pair experienced players with less experienced ones as the former knows how to control the strength used and not go overboard," said Chua, 23, who has a decade of experience in judo.

Still, athletes run the risk of incurring severe injuries as long as they participate in contact sports.

Dr Swarup Mukherjee, an Associate Professor from the faculty of Physical Education and Sport Science (PESS) at National Institute of Education, said athletes who participate in MMA have a higher chance of sustaining acute traumatic injuries such as head injuries or concussions.

“MMA athletes do not wear any protective headgear and repeated

concussions can lead to degenerative brain disease.

“As the determination of the severity of a concussion differs from individual to individual, it is important for the athlete to be aware of the symptoms of a concussion and stop when needed," said Dr Mukherjee, who is also a trained physician and regularly lectures at PESS on sports injuries.

Some athletes have also chosen to err on the side of caution when competing.

Unlike his older brother who has broken bones during judo school training sessions before, Chua has only sprained his tailbone, shoulder and knee — the result of prioritising his safety over winning, he explained.

“Acute injuries occur when athletes don't want to get thrown as they lose a point,” said Chua.

“For me, I’d rather get thrown than avoid it, in the event I get an injury that affects me for life.”

He added that his brother, now 25, fights more conservatively these days to reduce the chances of sustaining a severe injury.

When it comes to mitigating the likelihood of injuries, the NTU MMA club and other combat sports clubs on campus have coaches present to supervise all trainings.

Elrond Choa, 22, a second-year student from the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, said during breaks, the president of the club goes around to ensure everyone has their protective gear on and that no one is feeling unwell.

When approached by The Nanyang Chronicle, president of NTU MMA, Ng Yi Hao, said: “Members

cannot exert full strength during training. Proper techniques and control should be applied.

“As long as they feel unwell, we will make them sit out," said the 22-year-old second-year student from the School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering.

Long Wei Liang, 23, said: “During BJJ training, we have two coaches who go around when we spar.

“They actively call out to members to tap out. It's not just about winning," said the third-year student from the School of Material Science and Engineering.

Aside from the NTU clubs, safety measures are also well-implemented at combat sports classes outside the University.

Lim Ming Tao, 21, said strict safety protocols are put in place at Fortitude BJJ, where he has been training for one and a half years.

“When someone is caught in a submission, we are made to tap out immediately.

“My coaches always restrict members from training so long as they have a minor knock," said the third-year SSM student, who has competed in regional competitions on his own.

Though injuries in sports are unavoidable, Dr Mukherjee said it should not deter anyone from taking up a sport.

“Sport is a choice. If someone is excited about it, then by all means, pursue it," he explained.

He added: “However, every sport has its own demands. Athletes should train and be completely ready to deal with them, consult a doctor when injured and avoid premature return to training following an injury."