Vol. 24 Issue 10

THE NANYANG

CHRONICLE INSIDE When having a twin is a win From school, to sports, to careers, to dating, these twins are each other’s pillars of support

LIFESTYLE | Page 6-7

Make-up make-believe NTU student Nigel Phua is a magician wielding liquid foundation and a paintbrush

PHOTO | Page 8-9

校园性侵受害者仍 不报案 在校园内受到性侵犯的受害 者仍因怕麻烦、无力等因素 而不去报案

新闻| Page 13

Parkour your way through life

Parkour is becoming more popular among people in Singapore — they see it not as an extreme sport, but as a way of life

SPORTS | Page 18-19

VOL. NO.

24

10 13.08.18

ISSN NO. 0218-7310

E-scooters raise safety concerns in NTU Students report careless use and a lack of maintenance of e-scooters on campus after a series of accidents Shirley Tay GWYNETH Lim used to ride e-scooters around campus daily — until she got into an accident in February that left her unable to walk for two days.

After the wounds she sustained on her knees became infected, Lim had to get around school on a wheelchair.

The second-year student from the Nanyang Business School (NBS) was trying to avoid a pedestrian when the brakes on her e-scooter malfunctioned.

“I was flung off the scooter after it skidded over a groove on the drain. I flew for a second and fell on my face, and lay sprawled on the ground,” said Lim, 20.

E-scooters have become increasingly popular among students for their convenience. In April, a survey conducted by the Nanyang Chronicle of 110 NTU students revealed that 47 per cent of respondents` have used Telepod, the e-scooter sharing service available on campus, at least once.

However, the increased use of e-scooters has also raised safety concerns.

In the same survey, 45 per cent of students found riding e-scooters unsafe — and 18 per cent of them have been in accidents at least once while on a Telepod e-scooter.

These accidents included malfunctioning brakes, collisions with pedestrians and skidding on slippery surfaces.

E-scooter use in NTU has increased amid rising concerns of malfunctioning brakes and skidding.

that he has ridden e-scooters with faulty brakes before.

“As the brakes are not responsive, I have to press really hard on them, which makes the scooter come to a sudden stop sometimes,” said Ng, 22, who uses the Telepod scooters three to four times a week.

“This is actually very dangerous as the inertia can throw you off the scooter,” he added.

Dangers of riding

Maintenance of e-scooters

Martin Loh, a fourth-year student from the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, was also involved in an e-scooter accident on campus.

Loh, 24, had decided to take the e-scooter after waiting for the campus shuttle bus for more than 20 minutes. It was drizzling then.

As he was going down the hill from Canteen 2 to Hall of Residence 8, the scooter started to skid on the slippery ground.

“In a moment of panic, I pressed down harder on the brakes, which only made it skid even more,” he said.

He eventually hopped off the scooter before it crashed, but the scooter hit the back of his right foot, causing it to bleed.

“I should have heeded Telepod’s warning to watch out for slippery surfaces. Now, I still use the e-scooters, but avoid doing so in bad weather,” said Loh. Ng Yong Zhi, a second-year student from the School of Biological Sciences, said

Telepod’s chief operating officer, Louis Goh, said that the e-scooters are checked once every few days when they are brought back to the charging station near the North Hill cluster.

“We carry out checks on the brakes, acceleration, tyres and kickstands to ensure that the e-scooters are functioning normally,” said Mr Goh, 28.

Users are advised to check that the scooter is in good condition before embarking on a trip, and are encouraged to report faults through the Telepod application.

However, Low Hong Liang, a Masters of Science in Technopreneurship and Innovation student, believes that Telepod holds a bigger responsibility in ensuring its riders’ safety.

“If they want to provide a service that people pay for, Telepod should be in charge of doing all these checks,” said the 25-year-old.

The user should not find out about these faults only when he is about to use the scooter, added Low, who rides the e-scooters at

PHOTO: ZHENG JUNCEN

least once a day.

Convenience over safety Despite the risks, Loh has continued to use the e-scooters even after the accident because they allow him to reach his destination with ease.

“Riding an oBike or Mobike in the hot weather doesn’t sound like a good idea, especially around the parts of NTU with more slopes. I don’t want to get to class all sweaty,” he said.

For Gary Teo, a second-year NBS student, it is a matter of money. “oBike and Mobike started to charge for their services, while e-scooters are still free to ride under the Jalan application,” said Teo, 22.

According to Telepod’s Mr Goh, NTU follows the Land Transport Authority’s (LTA) rules and regulations on e-scooters. When travelling on walkways and footpaths, escooter riders need to keep to LTA’s speed limit of 15 kilometres per hour.

The Campus Security is monitoring the use of e-scooters on campus and will investigate any incidents involving these devices, said an NTU spokesperson.

Telepod also hopes that NTU students can use the e-scooters responsibly by slowing down when going over a bump or kerb and avoiding riding on roads.

“Safety is our top priority, and we need everyone to play their part,” Mr Goh said.

News

Success in job searches for first batch of Environmental Science graduates

Many of them secured positions prior to graduation, in organisations such as environmental consultancies, sustainability companies and government bodies Shabana Begum THE INAUGURAL batch of students from the Environmental Earth Systems Science (EESS) undergraduate programme obtained their degrees in July.

Ten out of 26 graduates secured jobs before the semester ended.

They were offered full-time positions in sustainability companies, at NParks and at NTU as Teaching and Research Assistants, said Dr Natasha Bhatia, undergraduate programme director at the Asian School of the Environment (ASE), where the EESS programme is offered.

Other programmes in ASE include a Double Major in EESS and

Public Policy and Global Affairs, a Minor in Environmental Sustainability and a PhD programme.

The EESS programme was launched in 2014 after the Ministry of Education and industry leaders saw a gap in the market for people with expertise in environmental science, added Dr Bhatia.

The four-year programme offers specialisations in Geosciences, Ecology and Ecosystems, and Society and the Earth System. Students in the programme can expect to be knowledgeable in the geosciences, mathematics, computing, and in innovative problem-solving.

About 122 students are currently enrolled in the EESS programme.

Geosciences, the study of Earth and its processes, was the most popular specialisation for the Class of 2018.

Graduate Amanda Cheong is working at a hazard risk analysis firm to analyse the probability of natural hazards in parts of South East Asia. The data she collects is given to an insurance company to help the firm decide on insurance premiums.

“In South East Asia, we have a lot of typhoons and floods. I want to use my knowledge in natural hazards to analyse and calculate the risks properly. You can save a lot of lives and money from that,” said Cheong, 23.

Nguyen Xuan Quynh, who majored in Society and the Earth System, applied to companies that need sustainability consultants in April. She hopes to trace her company’s supply chain and determine the sustainability of its raw materials.

“When companies trace their suppliers and ensure that the materials they use are sustainable, the (finished) products that reach the consumers will be environmentally friendly. If the companies’ supply chain is unsustainable, consumers will indirectly contribute to climate change or deforestation,” said Nguyen, 23.

Being in the first batch was an exciting and yet bittersweet journey for Nguyen.

“Everything was new and you didn’t know what to expect. I had to take more initiative in my learn-

ing and prepare for exams thoroughly,” said Nguyen.

Older courses provide online reviews about the difficulty of various modules. Students in the subsequent EESS batches had past year papers and knew what to expect for each assessment, she added.

“If we didn’t like something from the course, we provided feedback and the school will make changes (to the curriculum) for the next batch. For us, there was nothing that could be done. We just had to accept whatever that was given.”

With regard to the inaugural cohort, Dr Bhatia said: “It’s important to highlight the tenacity and bravery of the students who came into this completely new course and put all their trust in us to give them the opportunity to develop.”

Many graduates said their compulsory field trips were the most academically fulfilling part of the EESS curriculum.

Field programmes are part of all students’ core modules. At the end of their first year, all EESS students will complete their Introductory Field Experience course in Bali for two weeks.

They will participate in fieldwork relevant to the programme’s three specialisations, from studying a volcano to understanding coastal and marine ecology.

Depending on their specialisations, they will also embark on other field trips in countries such as Taiwan, Sri Lanka and the United States.

As a Geosciences major, Cheong, for instance, explored three areas in the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range in California last year, producing hand-drawn maps and field reports for each location.

She found her five-week trip most fulfilling because it challenged their physical and mental limits.

“It was physically tiring in the day and mentally challenging in the night. We woke up at 6 a.m. in the morning and had to start fieldwork by 8 a.m.

We worked our way till 5 p.m. At night, the temperature in the desert would drop to two degrees Celsius and that was mentally challenging.

We had to do our own cooking and washing in the cold,” said Cheong.

More competition for hall rooms expected in NTU Cluster D Construction works due for Halls of Residence 8 to 11 will increase competition for students looking to secure hall rooms in the coming semesters Freda Peh OVER the next two years, NTU’s four halls of residence in Cluster D will be undergoing renovation, with three blocks per hall to be in operation instead of the usual four.

The blocks undergoing renovation were closed on 1 Jun. With Cluster D halls operating at three-quarter the usual capacity — each hall can accommodate about 600 residents — many students will have to move from their existing rooms into another block, or another hall.

According to the Office of Housing and Auxiliary Services’ (HAS) website, students will go through a computerised ballot to determine if they can continue staying in their halls.

Some students will have priority to return to their hall the following year, if they are on the recommendation list submitted by the Junior Common Room Committee (JCRC) and the Senior Faculty in Residence.

There are about 110 slots on each recommendation list, the Nanyang Chronicle understands.

However, these slots are subject to allocation by JCRC members.

Lim Kai Tjoon, vice-president of Hall 8’s JCRC, said that his hall has an extensive selection and interview process to determine the list.

“We assess residents based on current and future contributions, an interview and hall presence,”

said Lim, 22, who defined hall presence as a resident’s involvement in and support for hall events.

A change in hall culture Halls affected by the renovations might also have to tackle the issue of the dilution of hall culture, due to the decreased number of returning seniors.

The number of returning seniors had already taken a hit last year for older halls in NTU when the new guaranteed two-year stay regulation for freshmen was put in place.

Hall 4, for instance, faced a lack of manpower for hall activities and inter-hall competitions when it had to undergo renovations from July 2016.

Renovations are projected to end this month.

Vincent Low, ex-president of Hall 4, believes that the handover of duties from seniors to juniors

was crucial in helping his hall maintain its hall spirit.

“People who can fit into an organisation’s culture can thrive in

“We assess residents based on current and future contributions, an interview and hall presence.”

Lim Kai Tjoon, 22 Vice-president Hall of Residence 8 JCRC

it, become influential figures and take up important positions, before handing over to the next batch of like-minded people,” said Mr Low,

24, who graduated from Nanyang Business School in June.

Clara Lai, a former resident in Hall 11, opted not to extend her stay due in part to the renovations and increased competition.

“I don’t know how hall culture will change, but having (fewer familiar faces around) was one of the reasons why I decided not to apply for hall in the next academic year,” said Lai, 22, who will miss the community, support system and late night suppers.

While the third-year School of Humanities student finds it sad that people are moving away, she says that the renovations are inevitable, especially since older halls need to step up in terms of security.

“Unfortunately (the renovations also) mean that residents from these halls will need to face greater competition applying back to their halls during this period.”

Lifestyle

Work smarter, not harder Kames Narayanan explores ways to complete more tasks within a shorter time frame

GRAPHIC: BRENDAN TAN

ACCORDING to the Global Productivity Study conducted last year by local enterprise software firm Unit4, office workers in Singapore were the least productive among the 11 countries polled, including the United States and Sweden.

The study found that Singaporean workers spend only 60 per cent of their time attending to their primary responsibilities.

This was in contrast to an average of 72 per cent by workers in the other countries polled.

It also found that Singaporeans spend an estimated 380 hours a year, or 47.5 work days, completing tasks that are secondary to their key work responsibilities.

These tasks include administrative and logistics work.

This loss in productivity has cost the local service industry more than S$36.5 billion annually, according to Unit4.

In a bid to understand how best to increase productivity, DeskTime, a productivity app that tracks em-

ployees’ computer use, studied its data to survey the behaviour of its most productive workers.

It found that the top-performing 10 per cent of workers tended to work for 52 consecutive minutes, followed by a 17-minute break.

Those 17 minutes were often spent away from the computer — by talking a walk, doing exercises, or talking to coworkers.

Increasing productivity

Multi-tasking may be seen by many as a way to increase productivity.

But according to research conducted by the American Psychological Association in 2015, multitasking can cause up to 40 per cent of productive time.

Mr Eatsham Ahsan, 24, combats this by having a checklist.

“I used to be extremely disorganised — I would accidentally arrange for multiple meetups on the same day, and often forgot about my assignments completely,” said the fresh graduate from the School of Civil

and Environmental Engineering.

“In the second semester of my freshman year, I read a book on ways to be more efficient, and one of the aspects was being organised.

“They (the book) suggested having a checklist, so now I keep a daily list of things that I need to do.”

Starting the day right also sets the tone for the rest of the day.

Duke University behavioural economist Dan Ariely found in 2014 that most people are productive in the first two hours of the morning after waking up.

This is due to the body producing moderate levels of the hormone cortisol at those hours, which improves alertness and concentration.

“My morning routines have always been very important to me since young. It was a habit my mother cultivated (in me),” said Mr Ng Zi Xuan, 25, a Nanyang Business School alumnus who graduated last year.

“When I was younger, my mother used to insist that I read the newspa-

per after breakfast. It’s a habit that has stuck with me, and doing so helps set the tone for the rest of my day.”

Taking short breaks throughout the day can help keep up one’s momentum at work.

According to research at the University of Illinois in 2011, brief diversions from a task can dramatically improve one’s ability to focus on that task for prolonged periods.

Short breaks, of about five to ten minutes every hour, reset the brain’s focus and ready it for the work ahead.

Ms Shankari Balakrishnan, a secondary school teacher, said: “It may be hard to catch a breather when I have back-to-back classes, but I always make it a point to take breaks in between long lessons.

“It also helps the students in my class to refocus when I give them short 10-minute breaks. It benefits both of us,” added the 27-year-old, who graduated from the National Institute of Education in 2016.

Engaging in physical activities

also helps improve productivity.

Exercise increases the oxygen supply to the brain, providing a surge of energy.

Simple activities, like walking around the office or engaging in “deskercises”, are enough to help people break out of mid-day slumbers, said Dr Noel Duncan, a health consultant in Australia.

Copywriter Nur Liyana, 25, who graduated from the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information in 2016, has been going for yoga classes during her lunch breaks at work for about a year.

She finds that the exercise helps her be more awake and attentive after lunch, rather than feel sluggish after eating.

“When I take the time out to exercise during lunch, it is almost as if I’m getting a second fresh start to my day,” she said.

“I am revitalised and ready to take on the later hours of the afternoon rather than giving way to fatigue mid-day.”

04-05 LIFESTYLE

Dancing through open doors Students often use their university years to try out new things.

Xener Gill speaks to three dancers who picked up dancing only in university

Yao Cheng Hui (centre), spends many late nights rehearsing with the NTU MJ Hip Hop Dance Club to ensure that performances go smoothly.

WHILE it may be common for young children to dance to music they hear, dancing may not come so intuitively anymore as one grows older.

Despite being self-conscious and stiff-limbed, some students with no prior dance experience make the brave decision to take up dance when they enter NTU.

The lead dancer With only two months of dance experience from open classes before university started, secondyear Renaissance Engineering Programme student Yao Cheng Hui, 22, was surprised when he was appointed as the lead dancer of NTU MJ Hip Hop Dance Club (MJ) for the Joint Dance Concert (JDC) in March this year.

MJ focuses more on urban style dancing, where choreography is done based on a song’s lyrics rather than its beats. However, as they accept dancers from different dance backgrounds, members are free to explore different styles, based on their own preferences.

Despite having some reservations at the start, Yao eventually agreed to take on the role.

“I was quite nervous at first be-

cause there are a lot of other strong dancers in my item, but I saw it as an opportunity to improve myself, so I took on the challenge,” he said.

Surrounded by dancer friends from a young age, especially in junior college (JC), Yao had always wanted to learn to dance but never had the opportunity to.

“I started bowling since I was ten, and I was also the captain of the bowling team in JC, so I never had the time for dance,” said the 22-year-old.

However, after completing his National Service, he decided to use the two months he had before university to enrol in some dance classes.

Later, when university started, he auditioned for MJ. “I heard a lot of good things about MJ, and that they’re a really strong dance group, even nationally,” said Yao. “I wanted to improve myself (as a dancer), so I auditioned to join them,” he added.

At the start of his time in MJ, he did not have very good control of his limbs, and was not comfortable with relaxing his body, which made him feel awkward when he was dancing.

“I think what helped me was that I made a lot of friends, so I slowly became comfortable when I danced, and I learned how to enjoy the adrenaline,” he said.

“I heard a lot of good things about MJ, and that they’re a really strong dance group, even nationally.”

Yao Cheng Hui, 22 Second-year student Renaissance Engineering Programme

He added that having friends created a more comfortable learning environment, as he became less shy to dance around them.

Though Yao still bowls occasionally, he currently spends most of his time dancing.

“When you dance, you have a very strong sense of emotion, you need to learn to be in the right emotion and put it into the dance — it’s something that I could not

achieve in sports and has definitely built my confidence,” he added.

Hopping towards confidence Two years ago, second-year School of Art, Design and Media student Muhammad Shaherfi Haidi watched his friend’s Lindy Hop performance at a dance concert by NUS and was intrigued by how different Lindy Hop was, as compared to other dance genres.

Inspired, the 22-year-old decided to try his hand at the dance when he entered university last year.

Lindy Hop is a dance form that originated from New York City in 1928 and combines swing and jazz.

It emphasises social dancing over performance-based dancing.

“Lindy does not require dancers to have a dance background so there were no auditions, which I am afraid of,” he said.

As he had no dance background, Shaherfi struggled with keeping time and counting the steps.

“Lindy involves jazz, so the counts shift randomly during the performance. It was rather disorientating in the beginning,” said the second-year School of Art, Design and Media student.

He would also tend to look at his

PHOTO: ONG YONG JIA

feet to ensure he was making the right steps, because he did not like looking at himself in the mirror.

However, he has since stopped doing that as he realised the need to check his dance moves in the mirror to get a clearer sense of whether he is dancing correctly or not.

He has also become more acquainted with the genres of music used in Lindy Hop, which has helped him count the steps better.

For the Lindy Hop performance at JDC, Shaherfi was asked to take on the role of the follower.

The role of the lead is usually taken on by a male, while the follower is performed by a female.

However, due to a lack of female dancers, one of the males in his dance group had to be the follower with another male lead.

The lead gives signals to the follower, who has to know how to read these signals and follow the lead’s cue.

“Many people think that the lead’s role is more difficult because they have to do all the thinking, but the follower has a tough job too, learning how to read signals,” said Shaherfi.

“Though I had to take on the role of a female, it wasn’t awkward for

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As an REP student, Yao (centre) initially faced difficulties managing his time between MJ and his studies.

PHOTO: LI XU DO

me at all,” said Shaherfi.

“I guess it’s because I was pretty comfortable (being) in the club by then and everyone was really supportive as well,” he added.

He also had to learn how to make himself lighter, so that it would be easier for his partner to lift him during the dance.

“It’s difficult to pick up new things because we will be aware of how we’re not good at it. ” Muhammad Shaherfi Haidi, 22 Second-year student School of Art, Design and Media

Shaherfi does so by engaging his core muscles to lift himself up as well, instead of solely relying on his partner.

“It took a lot of practice and trust. While I’m still rather stiff (when dancing), I think I’m getting better,” he said.

“It’s difficult to pick up new things because we will be aware of how we’re not good at it. But no

one starts out good at something, so I’m glad I wasn’t afraid to take the first step,” he added.

Breakdancing footballer Having been in sports since she was six, third-year Maritime Studies student Tian Chinyee wanted to try something new in university.

“I’ve always been interested in dance because I wanted to learn how to vibe to the music. It also intrigued me because of how physically demanding it is, similar to sports,” Tian, 21, said.

She joined Soul Funky during her freshman year, but quit after two training sessions when she could not keep up with the moves.

In Soul Funky, students learn how to lock and pop, and do freestyle dancing.

She went back to playing sports, and joined the NTU Women’s Rugby team in her first year. In her second year, she played as the substitute goalkeeper for the Inter-Varsity Polytechnic (IVP) football team and joined the campus breakdance society Breakers.

“I still wanted to join a dance club in my second year, but I also wanted to join a sport so that I could work out. I’ve also always liked the idea of being able to do freezes and stunts, so I joined Breakers,” said Tian.

The Lindy Hop team rewatches their performances in order to learn from their mistakes.

PHOTO: LI XU DO

A freeze is a breakdance technique that involves halting all body motion, often carried out in an inverse position.

With a stiff body and no knowledge of basic dance steps, she started out being unable to catch on as well as other members who had dance experience.

“My moves were all so ugly, but I was determined to carry on because I wanted to perform on stage at least once in my life,” she said.

With practice, Tian slowly improved over the course of that first semester.

However, both the IVP football league games and JDC took place in the second semester. Tian had to choose between the two, and eventually decided to pursue dance instead of football.

“Since I already had the opportunity to play for the IVP team in the first semester, I decided to devote my time to JDC instead,” said Tian.

Tian, who can now perform more breakdance movements such as handstands, air freeze and baby freeze after just one year of dancing, sees dance as a way of expressing herself.

“My moves were all so ugly, but I was determined to carry on because I wanted to perform on stage at least once in my life.”

Shaherfi performing at this year’s JDC with NTU Lindy Hop, which he was initially hesitant to sign up for.

PHOTO: LI XU DO

Tian Chinyee, 21 Second-year student Maritime Studies

An athlete all her life, Tian decided to try her hand at dance in university. PHOTO: LI XU DO

An air freeze involves balancing on a single hand, while a baby freeze involves holding one’s body low to the ground while balancing on one’s hands and head.

Tian said: “Dance has taught me to never give up and to not be too eager to see results overnight.”

“Practice really makes perfect.”

After months of practice, Tian finally manages to get the hang of some breakdancing stunts.

PHOTO: TIAN CHINYEE

06-07 LIFESTYLE

Seeing double

While many students know what growing up with a sibling is like, few would know what growing up with a twin is like. Kimberly Ng speaks to four pairs of identical twins to find out more

Shonna (left) and Shondda Lee (right) visited Italy together on exchange last year.

FROM a young age, twins spend a large amount of their time with each other — from being born just minutes apart, to being dressed in the same clothes by their parents, and attending the same schools.

As they grow up, some may start to differentiate themselves from each other, and pursue different interests as well.

However, for others, spending the bulk of their lives with their twin is not an issue, even if it means joining the same student clubs or working together in the same company after graduation.

Two peas in a pod To 22-year old Shondda Lim, having a twin is an experience that can only be understood by other pairs of twins.

Shondda and her sister, Shonna, studied in the same schools throughout their primary, secondary and tertiary education.

And even after their graduation from Nanyang Business School last semester, their paths have remained closely entwined.

The duo are now working together at Citibank.

“We share the same dream job of becoming a private banker, so we applied for the same company together. We never thought that we

would both end up getting the job and working together at the same place,” said Shonna.

Because of their identical paths, the twins’ social circles overlap and they often hang out with the same group of friends.

Shondda and Shonna’s friends have even coined a term for moments when they complete each other’s sentences or read each other’s minds — “twinception”.

“Once, Shonna injured her left baby toe because someone stepped on it. I actually felt the pain in my left baby toe as well.”

Shondda Lim, 22 Fresh graduate Nanyang Business School

Sometimes, their deep connection to each other even extends to what seems like telepathy.

“Once, Shonna injured her left

PHOTO: SHONNA LEE

Kong Soon Huat (left) and Soon Lee (right) at their old campsite during the Paya Lebar airbase showcase.

PHOTO: KONG SOON LEE

baby toe because someone stepped on it. I actually felt the pain in my left baby toe as well, even though I was perfectly fine,” said Shondda.

“The pain only went away after Shonna’s toe recovered. I did find it freaky, but it was also pretty cool because it was the first time something like that happened to us,” she added.

Same same but different Kong Soon Lee and Kong Soon Huat, another pair of twins in NTU, go one step beyond going to the same schools.

Before enrolling in Nanyang Business School together, the brothers, both 23, were posted to the same base camp, unit and platoon during their full-time National Service.

“We were quite happy when we found out about our posting, because we would always have each other to depend upon if anything happened. But we were also a little disappointed because we knew that we would have less independence if we stuck together,” said Soon Lee. Many of their platoon mates and superiors mixed them up at the start, and took a few weeks to tell them apart.

The siblings cheekily thought they could play this to their advan-

tage, and would swap and complete each other’s duties in camp for efficiency and convenience’s sake.

“We once swapped our guard duty so that Soon Huat could get more rest. But we got found out and punished for it,” said Soon Lee. As the twins look so similar, their friends often mix the twins up too.

“We will wave to each other’s friends if they happen to mistake us for each other, so that they don’t feel awkward waving to the wrong person,” said Soon Lee.

“We once swapped our guard duty so that Soon Huat could get more rest. But we got found out and punished for it.”

Kong Soon Lee, 23 Third-year student Nanyang Business School

Now that they are in university, they no longer stick together as

much as they did before.

“Once we started university, we started to branch out to do our own things and pursue our individual interests,” said Soon Huat. While Soon Huat is in the NTU canoe polo team, his brother decided to join the business clubs instead.

Soon Lee added: “He also dyed his hair, and he’s really tanned because of canoe polo, so we look a bit more different now.”

The twins, who are now in their third year, will be splitting up during exchange this semester — Soon Lee will be headed to Edinburgh in Scotland, while Soon Huat will be going to Kingston in Canada.

It will be the first time that the pair are separated for such a long period of time.

“Right now, we are trying to get more used to experiencing different things, so that we can make the most out of our own opportunities, and come back at the end of the day or after exchange and share these experiences with each other,” said Soon Lee.

Two is better than one Many twin siblings face the problem of being seen as a pair or as someone’s twin, instead of as an individual.

“When mutual friends (of my

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Back when they were staying at Crescent Hall in 2017, Jayden (left) and Jacob Goh (right) joined forces as teammates in a friendly soccer match at Jalan Besar stadium.

brother and I) see me alone, they will ask me where my brother is,” said 22-year-old Austin Chia, a second-year student from the School of Biological Sciences.

“They assume that we will always be together since we’re twins, so sometimes it feels like I’m only remembered as a pair.“ Because of this, Austin and his brother Justin, who is also studying in the same school, differentiate themselves by making sure that they never go out in similar outfits, even though they share their clothes with each other.

“If one of us happens to choose a similar-looking outfit, then the other will have to sacrifice and change into something else, but we usually take turns to do this,” said Austin.

However, for Nanyang Business School alumnus Jacob Goh, being able to do everything with his brother is one of the greatest perks of having a twin.

“With a twin, you will never be lonely — there’s really nothing bad about having a twin. I actually hope that I can have twins or triplets in the future when I get married and have kids,” he said.

Jacob and his brother Jayden, both 24, who graduated from Nanyang Business School last semester, consider themselves

aeach other’s best friends.

“We do everything together whenever we can — we have always been in the same CCAs in school, and we also chose to run for hall council and Students’ Union together in our first two years in university, so that we could spend most of our time together,” said Justin.

The brothers also play soccer together. As they both play fullbacks, they are often in close proximity to each other on the field.

This has led to confusion among opponents and referees, who sometimes regard the brothers as the same player during matches.

“Once, during a match, we happened to tackle the same opponent at different times, and the opponent actually thought the same person kept tackling him, and he wanted to fight us because he got so angry,” said Jayden.

“The referee also tends to mistake us for each other so we do get yellow cards quite often.”

Interestingly, Jacob is also dating a twin — Shondda.

“With Jacob, we can both relate to the special yet unexplainable connection that most twins share, so we don’t really have to bring it up in conversations, because it’s a given that the other party understands,” said Shondda.

PHOTO: JACOB GOH

Apart from wearing different outfits, Austin (left) and Justin Chia (right) use their glasses to differentiate themselves.

PHOTO: AUSTIN CHIA

08-09 SPOTLIGHT

2

Cos cosm

Meet Nigel Phua — a make-up artist who conjures up looks that are out of this world. Photo editor Nicholas Koo goes behind the scenes to capture how his ideas are brought to life 1 1. “The Zombie” is a look featuring latex-tissue skin, white contact lenses and styrofoam ball pustules. It takes Phua about one and a half hours to create, and is one of his many looks that can send shivers down one’s spine.

2. Phua enjoys donning nightmarish looks. “It’s like a total transformation,” he said. “The less I look like myself, the more fulfilling it is.” He also has several piercings, and has shaved his eyebrows and dyed his hair multiple colours to make himself look different.

3. Phua once pulled off five looks in a single day while working at an event. Even though he puts considerable effort into each look, he does not find it a pity to clean off and start over on a new one. “It’s not like i’m going to wear it for the whole day. Mascara is uncomfortable.”

ON NORMAL days, Nigel Phua looks like your typical 22-year-old taking Communication Studies at NTU. But on some days — especially closer to Halloween — you might not be able recognise the undergraduate at all.

Instead, you might just see Pinocchio or a zombie walking up and down the streets of Singapore.

Phua, an up-and-coming make-up (check house style if makeup has a hyphen - check throughout this article for consistency) artist, picked up face-painting on his own when he was 17 years old because he did not want to spend too much money on a costume for Halloween.

He started off with characters from fairy tales, and has now expanded his repertoire to include looks from mythical creatures to post-apocalyptic manifestations.

Drawing most of his inspiration from horror movies and comic books, Phua also looks to other make-up artists online for techniques that he can experiment with.

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mic etics The bizarre looks may seem revolting or frightening to some, but each one represents a fresh change for him.

“I’m someone who gets bored of my appearance quite easily,” he said. “So I would get piercings and paint my face, just to make myself look different.”

Phua’s favourite look is still his first-ever, Pinocchio — he constantly revisits it to benchmark his progress.

Recently, Phua took part in the Nyx Face Awards, a competition for make-up artists in Singapore, sponsored by makeup brand, Nyx. Despite having landed himself a spot in the top 15, Phua remains humble, saying that the industry in Singapore is full of talented make-up artists.

Although a large part of his journey was self-motivated, Phua’s family — especially his siblings — has slowly started showing support for his talents.

Nicole Phua, 21, his sister, sometimes offers to be his personal assistant, or a guinea pig for one of his looks.

“It has been a great topic of interest for the both of us to bond over. We can get affordable make-up together and share it,” she said.

Although Phua is a full-time student, his desk is not usually piled with books, but with make-up.

“I’m sure I have more (make-up) than the average female,” he said, “Sometimes they’ll even come over to use some of mine.”

5 4. Hoping to do special effects make-up for broadcast, Phua is sought after for his talent at using the face as a canvas for his art. He often does make-up for businesses during the Halloween period and has regular customers who hire him to do their make-up every year.

5. Apart from make-up, Phua pays careful attention to his costume selection. Here he dons a straw hat, a white shirt with suspenders, and a bow tie for his “Pinocchio” look. He also recently picked up sewing to make costumes for some of the characters he imitates.

PHOTOS: NICHOLAS KOO

Follow Nigel (@night.chylde) on Instagram to see more of his looks.

Opinion EDITORIAL

Be wise, stay safe TIME is a finite commodity. The only commodity that can never be gained, only lost. We beg, we steal, we torment ourselves and the people around us just so that we can linger for a few more moments in the extra minutes that we have saved.

Our inherent belief is that the more time we save, the more things we can achieve.

And our newest gadget to counter the merciless nature of time is the blue ninja ­— Telepod.

Telepod was introduced on 22 Aug last year with only 15 e-scooters on trial. Since then, the cluster has expanded to a 100 e-scooter strong fleet, transporting students across our beautiful campus at the maximum speed of 25 kilometres per hour, in accordance with the regulations of the Land Transport Authority (LTA).

Serving the same function as the automatic dishwasher, dating app Tinder, and the smart student in your class that provides all the answers, Telepod aims to make things faster and easier for us.

But like all wonderful innovations, e-scooters have brought us into uncharted territory. E-scooters put students on the same path as pedestrians, bringing distress to them. The unfamiliarity in handling and

maintaining new technology has planted the seeds of discomfort in the hearts of users.

Based on a recent survey conducted by the Nanyang Chronicle, 45 per cent of students felt unsafe riding e-scooters and 18 per cent have been involved in an accident.

From injured knees to bleeding toes, going faster increases the risks of more severe consequences.

In our bid to save time, we might end up losing more time trying to solve the unexpected issues that arise. Even worse, just to save that extra minute, we may lose all the time we have on this planet.

So, into whose lap do these problems fall?

Users have firsthand experience using the e-scooters. Your insights are irreplaceably precious. Share them with Telepod. On the other hand, Telepod can make communication channels more accessible so as to receive such information from users.

Instead of falling into a dangerous blame game, creating constructive dialogues between Telepod users and the developer can allow this novel concept to grow into a safe and reliable mode of transportation for everyone on campus.

THE NANYANG

CHRONICLE CHIEF EDITOR

OPINION EDITOR

LAYOUT SUPERVISOR

DEPUTY CHIEF EDITOR

CHINESE EDITOR

DIGITAL ADVISOR

SUB-EDITORS

DIGITAL EDITOR

PRODUCTION SUPPORT

Claudia Chong Ariel Pang

Jolene Ang Hillary Tan

NEWS EDITORS Jovi Ho Adrien Chee

LIFESTYLE EDITOR Wee Rae

Clive Sin

Lo Hoi Ying

Natasha Razak

PHOTO EDITOR Nicholas Koo

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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FACULTY ADVISORS Wu Shangyuan Zakaria Zainal

Unsigned editorials represent the majority view of the editorial board of The Chronicle and do not necessarily reflect the policies or views of Nanyang Technological University, its employees, the students or the Council of the University.

Signed opinion columns, letters and editorial cartoons represent the opinion of the writer or artist and are not necessarily those of The Chronicle.

Printed by KHL Printing Co. Pte Ltd, 57 Loyang Drive Singapore 508968

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: NICHOLAS KOO

Singing praises for SingLit Lo Hoi Ying Chinese Editor “THE CORNER coffeeshop is the only one smack in the middle of the long curved stretch of Frankel Avenue — the only existing landmark apart from the Caltex station that had survived all these years.

There used to be a provision shop and the old-style bakery right next to it. But those were all gone now, replaced by a Javanese space and a chichi interior designer’s showroom that served the more up-market residents who now populated this once-modest neighbourhood.”

This excerpt from Verena Tay’s Balik Kampung series touched my heart. In a few words, she captured the essence of the neighbourhood, along with the memories of it. Having spent my junior college days in the East Coast area, I could easily picture this scene come to life.

Singaporean literature, or SingLit, brings me joy because it provides a sense of familiarity and helps me explore the Singapore that I know from different points of view.

Local literature enhances our sense of identity and allows us to understand issues involving heritage and multiracial ties.

It is a pity that Singaporeans are missing out on this.

According to a survey by the National Library Board, 70 per cent of Singaporeans have read at least one book in the past year. However, a separate survey by the National Arts Council reported that three

quarters of this group have not read books by local authors.

Perhaps we should start discovering local stories written by us about ourselves.

Documenting heritage The mama shop in the corner; the playground with the mosaic dragon; memories of our alma maters that have since closed down.

SingLit tells stories of places and people who have come and gone.

As the country moves forward and the older generations pass on, these memories and pieces of our heritage can live on between the pages of our books.

These are the stories that venture beyond the shiny exterior of Singapore to explore the issues and problems that we encounter, reminding us of how conservation and progress sometimes cannot go hand in hand.

Having our lives documented in local books ensures fair representation, as our stories are told by authors who belong with us. They provide valuable insights by discussing important issues from our perspective. They pen down the emotions we cannot find the words to express.

It is empowering to flip through a book and be able to say, “Hey, I recognise this place,” or “Wow, my relatives said the same thing to me too!” We resonate with these characters and their circumstances.

These moments remind us that our everyday stories are worthy of being told.

Through storytelling, we gain a sense of identity and a greater sense of self-worth. And through the development of characters that we feel close to, we get to explore the Singapore we call home.

By us, for us SingLit is written by Singaporeans, for Singaporeans.

In support of the growing local arts scene, Singaporeans need to stop shifting their eyes to the West when searching for products relating to the arts, culture and heritage.

Like poet Loh Guan Liang mentioned in a Straits Times article, “When you don’t read what Singapore writers have to offer, what you create becomes a pale copy of Western voices.”

Singaporeans might feel that the arts scene here is lacklustre, but if they look around, there is much local authors and artists have to offer.

Only with increased demand from audiences will the market, and in turn, the arts scene, be incentivised to grow.

There is a whole new world for us to discover in SingLit. The connection we feel when reading SingLit might be something foreign texts can never offer us. So the next time you reach for a book written by a foreign author, why not switch to a local novel instead?

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Plus size pageants divide Plus size pageants may not be the answer to promoting body positivity Wee Rae Lifestyle Editor CLAD in a crimson nightgown, a beaming 35-year-old Filipina steps forward to receive her pageant crown. The nightgown hugs her skin tightly, revealing a plump belly.

She is Ms Jodel Padao Mesina, the 2017 winner of Miss Top of the World Plus Size — an annual international plus size beauty pageant, hosted in Singapore last November for the first time.

According to an article published

by Yahoo Lifestyle Singapore last year, contestants of the pageant were evaluated through photo shoots, interviews and cultural events where they donned their national costumes and performed to the audience and judges.

While many may applaud the efforts taken by its pageant directors to promote inclusiveness and body positivity, I do not see the need for such pageants because they reinforce the idea that we have to be judged in order to feel accepted.

Rise of plus size pageants Miss Plus America, which began in 2002, was the first beauty pageant offered as an alternative to mainstream pageants such as Miss America, which typically feature women who were slim. Currently ongoing, all American women are eligible to participate in the plus size contest, as long as they are more than a size 14W, which translates to a 32-inch waist.

Plus size pageants have gained traction in America and around the world, with different states and countries coming up with their own versions of such pageants in an effort to promote inclusiveness and body positivity.

A psychological study conducted by the University of Pennsylvania said that self-acceptance means to not judge or put a rating on oneself.

In 2010, the first ever plus size beauty pageant was held right here

in Singapore.

Titled Miss & Ms Amazing Singapore, the pageant was open to both single and married women, and required contestants to weigh at least 80 kilogrammes — a weight that falls into the severely overweight category even for women standing at 1.7m or taller.

Misplaced intention In the Miss Top of the World Plus Size pageant, participants are judged based on their poise, intelligence and talents rather than their looks and size.

Celebrating attributes beyond looks is commendable.

Pageant contestants are still expected to doll themselves up and parade on stage in nightgowns and bikinis.

Ms Fiona Tan, winner of the 2016 Miss Top of the World Plus Size, said in a 2017 interview with The Wellness Insider that parents should encourage their children to not be fixated on having to achieve an ideal body type but rather, to focus on other aspects of themselves, such as their internal beauty.

Yet, the way in which these pageants are conducted do not seem to live up to their ideals.

Pageant contestants are still expected to doll themselves up and parade on stage in nightgowns and bikinis.

Even if the intention is not to place emphasis on looks, conducting these pageants in a manner similar to the mainstream beauty pageants may unintentionally entrench the mindset that size and looks do matter.

How can we get the audience to believe in inclusiveness and selfacceptance if the pageants cannot even deliver a clear message that beauty is more than just skin deep?

that they still need to look pretty even at their size.

GRAPHIC: BRENDAN TAN

Self-acceptance Besides, why should women care about gaining acceptance from the public when priority should be given to accepting themselves?

A psychological study conducted by the University of Pennsylvania in 2014 said that self-acceptance means to not judge or put a rating on oneself.

But in plus size pageants, participants still face rounds of assessment from a panel of judges.

In the Miss Top of the World Plus Size pageants, contestants were

also awarded points based on online votes received from members of the public.

Ultimately, these contestants still have to succumb to getting approval from the judges and viewers of the show in order to be deemed “winners”. Their “beauty” is served on a platter for others to dissect and feast on. The contest becomes an activity that serves the interest of others rather than their own.

And in that process, the plus size

pageant loses the core values it is trying so hard to promote.

Don't have to be pretty Plus size beauty pageants have undoubtedly helped to broaden the definition of beauty, but it is still a contest based on looks rather than other characteristics like personality and intelligence.

While women may learn that they do not need to be slim to be beautiful, the underlying notion is

Published in The Washington Post in 2015, self-help author Suzannah Weiss proposed: “Instead of reassuring women that they’re beautiful at any size, tell them that they don’t have to be.”

Rather than have others decide if a woman is beautiful or not — if she has to dress up more or put on less makeup — why not appreciate the person for who she is? This way, she will know that it is enough for her to just be herself.

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Living the double life on Instagram New York Magazine’s fashion blog The Cut in 2016 to describe the makeup trend that social media users are raving about.

This mimicry has extended to every genre of Instagram posts — from yoga to holiday trips to inspirational quotes, people imitate just to stay within the in-crowd.

Feeling restricted

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: NICHOLAS KOO

What we see on screens may not be a true reflection of reality Natasha Razak Digital Editor OUR emotions, thoughts and attitude towards life are very much influenced by the people we hang out with. Or, in the words of American entrepreneur and motivational speaker Jim Rohn, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”

People are more inclined to associate with others who can enrich their lives. Like the popular saying goes: good vibes only. Who would want to engage with the sad and lonely, knowing that these people would only drain their energies?

Not surprisingly, most of us want to be seen as positive and well-

liked so that others will want to include us in their lives. This idea comes across most clearly in the realm of social media.

By showing only our positive sides, we gain social validation in the form of “likes” and “comments”.

This motivates us to spend extra time editing the photos we post and seeking second opinions on them, in our bid to please strangers.

Blending in Psychiatrist Joanna Cannon wrote in Psychology Today that from a young age, we begin to notice how others behave.

Over time, we learn to mimic the behavioural patterns of dominant social groups to fit in.

“The need for acceptance is a basic human instinct — although some value it more than others,” she wrote.

But this need for validation has

reached a point where many of us are merely mimicking the photos and captions of Instagram users who have huge followings.

Ever wondered why so many girls carry that same look on Instagram? The thickly drawn eyelashes, the contoured cheeks and the pouty lips?

Such styles of Instagram make-up have been popularised by international Instagram heavyweights such as Kim Kardashian and Kendall Jenner, as well as local influencers such as Naomi Neo. It’s like popping open an egg tray at Fairprice to find almost identical eggs that are arranged neatly side by side. That’s exactly what you get when you scroll through your Instagram feed.

“Robotic”, “soulless” and “identical” were the words chosen by world renowned make-up artist Troy Surratt in an interview with

The danger is that we risk restricting our self-expression or even let the online community dictate our social media behaviour.

For instance, it has become a somewhat “in” thing to post couple photos on Instagram. Which is fine of course, if it is all about preserving and sharing memories. But there are instances where couple photos are staged or uploaded to please followers.

“Sometimes when we’re in the midst of arguing and I scroll through my Instagram and realise that we haven’t updated in a while, I’d post a cute photo of us despite the fact that the photo might not have been taken on that day and that things are rough between us,” a friend once told me.

“I constantly just want to post photos that make us seem like a couple that represents #relationshipgoals so that I’d get more likes and comments.”

Even though social validation gives us instant gratification, is it worth sacrificing the truth?

Moreover, such efforts may potentially backfire.

“When you try too hard, it shows, and unfortunately it smacks

of desperation,” wrote former psychotherapist Atalanta Beaumont in her book Handy Hints for Humans.

We become people we are not. We become the dreadful “wannabe”.

Putting ourselves first Admittedly, some of us enjoy playing this game. Every like, comment and share sets the heart racing.

Getting compliments and mentions from strangers online bring waves of satisfaction.

After all, there is nothing wrong with wanting to belong to part of a cool crowd.

But if you realise that your life has become slightly unbearable because of the “rules” you have set for yourself online, perhaps it is time to give up that “wannabe” identity that tells others nothing about you.

“Those who matter don’t mind, those who mind don’t matter,” said Electrical and Electronic Engineering undergraduate Mohammad Nazreerudin. “I don’t see the need to fit in the social media world.”

In 2015, to stay true to himself and not conform to social pressures of updating his Instagram page, he decided to reduce the number of Instagram posts to once a year whenever and now prefers face-toface interactions with his friends.

Though Nazreerudin’s decision might be too drastic for most of us, it might be worthwhile to spend less time online.

Focus instead on being true to ourselves and building genuine relationships with friends and family in the real world.

Just stick to Plan A If success means giving your all, then perhaps we should ditch our back-up plans Kames Narayanan DO YOU remember the last time you nosedived into a decision without a back-up plan? Has every moment of your life been cushioned by an alternative solution?

In a society averse to the idea of failure, we have been conditioned to always prepare a Plan B — it certainly seems like the sensible way to live. Whether in our careers, finances or relationships, we have come to perceive missteps as the beginning of the end.

But even though having a Plan B may seem comforting, that alternative might prevent us from succeeding in the first place.

Research published by two professors, University of Wisconsin’s

Jihae Shin and University of Pennsylvania's Katherine Milkman, in the journal Organisational Behaviour and Human Decision Process, found that the mere thought of a Plan B can diminish the amount of effort an individual puts into Plan A, making them less likely to achieve their initial goals.

“When people thought about another way to achieve the same high-level outcome, they worked less hard and did less well,” Professor Milkman wrote.

The study suggests that back-up plans may weaken our resolve. If we always have a way out, why try so hard in the first place? For instance, we might keep hitting the snooze button and sleep more if we could still be on time for an appointment by calling for an Uber instead of taking the bus.

People who are not used to moving through life without any backup plans might wonder: “What if I gave my all, knowing that there is

no safety net to catch me if I were to fall?”

This could cause an unfamiliar wave of fear to surge in. Palms break out in a cold sweat. The nagging voice in our head, sounding very much like our parents’, might try to drown out that thought. But out of that sense of uncertainty emerges a new sense of determination and focus.

In an interview with Fast Company, chief executive officer (CEO) of The Beara Group Corrie Shanahan attributed her achievements to ditching her back-up plans.

She did not have a back-up when she started her business as a solo consultant. Yet, that did not bother her. “My thinking was, ‘I know this is what I want to do. I know I have the expertise. I know there’s a market for it. Now I just have to get moving and make it work.'”

I have tried adopting this mindset for my internship applications, only focusing on those that really

GRAPHIC: BRENDAN TAN

mattered. My friends expressed surprise, raising questions like, “What if they don’t accept you?” The thought, however, never crossed my mind and in both instances, I was eventually accepted because I have always given my all.

“Burn the bridges, don’t look back, and march forward like there’s no tomorrow,” wrote Arman Assadi, co-founder and CEO of

Project Evo, in the online editorial Under30CEO. While some instances in life warrant having a Plan B, these alternatives may also allow us to wriggle out of working towards our primary goals.

If the goal in sight is truly as important as we say it is, it is time we put our money where our mouth is and give it the best shot we’ve got.

新 学 期 返 回 宿 舍 必 需 品 你 带 了 吗 ？ —— 刊15页

新闻

经历校园性侵犯 学生仍不会报案 陈昱嘉● 报道

南

大学生反映校园性侵犯是 个频频发生的问题，但就 算亲身遭遇，多数仍不会报案。 数张匿名“校园反性侵” （“We Stand Against Campus Sexual Assault”）海报在三月 中出现，通知学生性侵犯的界 定，及如何在受害的情况下寻 求帮助。 这虽不是学生福利中心或任 何学校组织张贴的海报，但仍 是校园首次出现关于反性侵犯 的宣传讯息。 根据性侵犯关怀中心（ Sexual Assault Care Centre）的官方 界定，“性侵犯”包括不未经 许可的性行为，包括性交、非 礼、言语上或网络骚扰、被强 求观看色情制品及拍摄裸照等 举动。 性侵犯关怀中心的2015年We Can! 活动中进行的调查报告透 露，每三名青少年中就有一位 曾经历过性侵犯或骚扰。 警方在去年10月22日发表文 告说，与前年同期相比，2017 年首九个月的非礼案增加19.9％ ，达1168起事件。

南大校园性侵案数次发生 今 年 3月 ， 联 合 晚 报 报 道 人 文 与社会科学院的厕所门挂钩暗 藏针孔摄像机。警方在3月7日 逮捕与事件相关的一位21岁男 士。根据同报道，这厕所也曾 发生过其他针孔摄像机事件。 去年11月，本报报道南大研 究生非礼男子的案件。研究生 通过 “身体刺激研究”网上广 告招参与者，然后在宿舍进行 “实验” 时非礼了17岁男子。 南洋商学院二年级生梁慧祯 （21岁）有听说身边朋友在南 大宿舍中受性侵犯的事件。这 位女生喝酒后有些醉意，有一 位男同学送她到宿舍。 到了房间后，她对男同学说 可以离开房间了。但她半夜睡 醒时，却发现男生正睡在同床 抚摸她身体。女生质问他时， 他说因为 “以为她会喜欢”。 另一位黄金辉传播与讯息学

学生认为校园性侵犯在我国大学里不是个广泛被讨论的话题，定义也模糊。

院学生也坦白自己在北区大楼 （North Spine）遇过性骚扰事 件。她在去年情人节晚上11点 多，独自走过大楼的天棚地区 回去宿舍。 路过时她见到一群正在喝酒 的男生，而他们开始对她喝倒 彩。她假装忙着看电话，不理 他们，但男生继续挑逗她。 她说：“他们叫着：‘小 姐，别只顾着看着手机跟男朋 友讲话，来陪陪我们。’ 我听 了就感觉很不自在，加快脚步 赶紧离开。”

因羞辱、程序繁琐不报案 社会科学院一年级生柯博淳（22 岁）认为性侵犯仍是个带有羞 辱的话题，受害者可能害怕被 歧视而不敢面对情况。 他说：“如果消息往外传， 就会影响那女生的形象。外人 得知这女生经历过性侵犯，通 常会很难接受她。” 性 侵 犯 关 怀 中 心 2015年 We Can!活动中进行的调查报告也显 示，仅6%的受害者向前寻求帮 助，而不主动求助的主要原因 是因为感到羞愧或自责。 据南苑了解，校方不常收到 关于校园性侵犯事件的报案。 一位选择匿名的南大生透露 自己曾认识了一位学长，两人 并结交朋友。但在接下来的学

期里，学长开始触摸她，让她 感到很不自在。他也用情感操 控的语言威胁她继续随从。 她起初因为觉得自己亏欠学 长而没有报案，但过了一段时 间才发觉这是种性侵犯行为。 当时，身边的朋友并不知道此 情况，让她不知道向哪里寻求 援助。 最后，她决定与学长断绝联 系并隔开距离，事件结束后才 与身边好友诉苦。 妇 女 行 动 及 研 究 协 会 (AWARE）在对南苑的电邮中表 示，现今社会仍然对青少年性 行为有些许忌讳。许多少年因 为害怕亲戚或校方的责骂，不 敢公开事情的来龙去脉。 学生也反映报案程序太繁 琐。机械与宇航工程学院二年 级生何绣婷（21岁）虽然没有 在校园里经历性骚扰，但在往 学校的巴士途中遇到类似情况。 当时，一个在她座位旁的男 士把手伸向何小姐的大腿，但 她机敏地把书包转到另一边阻 止他。她只瞪着男士，不敢通 知司机，下车时也没有报警。 她说：“如果当时我报了 案，就会耽误了很多时间。报 案后可能还要重复回警局几 趟，这过程太麻烦了。我不想 小题大做。”

插图：林馨怡

性侵犯不被广泛讨论 海报出现之前，南大学生透露 性侵犯并不是学生广泛讨论的 话题，对这课题并不是很了解。 黄金辉传播与讯息学院一年 级生蔣缘庭（24岁）认为性骚 扰在新加坡学院并不常见。 她说：“相比美国学府的 在校性侵犯事件，我觉得新加 坡算是居少的。如果我经历这 种事件，其实也会不知所措， 因为不清楚什么才算是‘性侵 犯’ 行为。” 社会科学院四年级生纱莉尼 （24岁）说从来没有与朋友讨 论性侵犯事件。她与朋友在19A 讲堂附近看到了海报才谈起这 话题。 她说：“我第一反应是非常 惊讶，想到 ‘南大竟然有性侵 犯事件吗？”

校方及学生可扶持受害者 学生希望校方能够对此问题采 取行动。南洋商学院一年级生 沈益任（23岁）说：“性侵犯 事件可能难以制止，因为南大 的校园开放给大众，任何人都 可以随意进出。然而，校方也 可以鼓励受害者奋勇报案。” 妇女行动及研究协会表示， 校方可考虑训练教职员及学生 领袖为第一反应者，即使扶持 受害者。学生也能聆听朋友的

经历并提供相关的援助咨询， 即使简单的一句“这不是你的 错”，或“我在这扶持你”也 是极大帮助。协会也强调，报 案的最后选择权应仍处于受害 者。 根据南大学生行为准则的第 五项条例，校方严禁所有骚扰 行为，包括性骚扰及欺凌，无 论行为通过肢体、言语或网络 方式进行。 ​校 方的一名公关员表示，学 生也可向校园保安人员 (campus security) 及警方报警。 南大的学生福利中心也为学 生提供专业辅导，扶持学生在 心理或情绪上面临的问题。学 生可电邮至 studentwellbeing@ ntu.edu.sg寻求帮助。

In summary The issue of campus sexual assault is in the limelight after various cases made the news, such as the pinhole camera found in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences toilets and the alleged molestation of a teen by an NTU graduate student.

This may have prompted the appearance of anonymous posters titled “We Stand Against Campus Sexual Assault” on campus mid-March, encouraging victims of sexual assault or harassment on campus to report their cases. However, students the Chronicle spoke to said that even if it happened to them, they would not report the incident.

Some said that victims remain silent for fear of being stigmatised, while others said that there is low awareness on helplines available. NTU would like to remind students that they can report such incidents to campus security or the police. Students can also approach the University Wellbeing Centre for assistance.

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南大生赴海外实习有上升趋势 杨量而● 报道

根

据南大的就业与实习指导 处（Career and Attachment Office）所提供的数据，近几年 来选择到海外实习的南大生有 明显上升的趋势。 高级助理总监胡俊佑先生告 诉本报南苑记者，申请到海外 企业公司实习的学生人数每年 逐步增加5%。2017至2018学 年，已达250名学生到海外完成 实习项目。

致力推广海外实习 根据南大的就业与实习指导处 提供的数据，2017至2018学年 有大约250名学生申请到海外实 习，当中还不包括正在申请阶 段的学生人数。 比起在本地实习的学生人 数，选择到海外实习的学生相 对较少。不过，就业与实习指 导处的高级助理总监胡俊佑先 生表示，到海外实习的学生， 近年来有与日俱增的趋势。 他说：“这几年来申请到海 外实习的学生有逐渐增加的倾 向，每年逐步上升5%。” 此外，就业与实习指导处也 致力推广海外实习计划，提供 更多机会给学生到海外的企业 公司实习。 胡先生表示：“过去的一年 里，我们也更积极地推广与宣 传海外实习项目，同时也在寻 找更多的实习项目，让南大学 生有机会到海外去实习，体验 国外的工作环境。”

学生偏好欧美国家 而根据就业与实习指导处的调 查，大部分的学生会比较偏向

到欧洲或是美国去实习，到欧 美国家实习的学生人数就占了 海外实习人数的40%。 受访的胡先生认为：“欧美 国家的媒体影响力及其科技先 进发达非常吸引学生，同时也 能提供学生更好的实习体验。” 不过，胡先生也强调，国家 并不是学生到海外实习需要考 虑的唯一因素。 他说：“大部分学生也会考 虑到财务问题，外国企业公司 的情况和安全性。” 刚从土木与环境工程学院毕 业的李委峻（24岁）因为考虑 到安全问题，所以选择到瑞士 实习二十周。 他说：“一开始我想申请到 印度实习，可是因为家人担心 我的安全，加上刚好收到瑞士 的录取通知书，所以最后选择 到瑞士实习。” 李同学决定在大学的最后一 学期申请到海外实习，主要是 因为身处国际经济学商学学生 联合会（AIESEC），国际经济 学商学学生联合会提供大学生 跨国商业实习的机会。 而李同学在南大的联合会 中担任海外实习部门的小组委 员。他时常受到身旁朋友与环 境的影响，再加上个人目标， 因此想尝试到海外实习，体验 国外的生活与工作方式。 他告诉记者，瑞士的职场文 化令他印象深刻，在瑞士，每 个人都被同等对待，一视同仁。 李同学说：“在职场上，他 们没有严谨的阶级分层，而且 也非常鼓励员工提出疑问。加 上工作时间非常自由，只要一 周最少工作42小时，时间灵活 性较高。”

李委峻（右一）因国际经济商学学生联合会（AIESEC）提供的机会，到了瑞士实习。 图片：李委峻

中国实习学生人数翻倍 虽然选择到中国实习的学生仅 占海外实习人数的20%，不过就 业与实习指导处指出，比起到 其他地区实习的人数，这几年 选择中国实习的学生增加最多。 与 2017至 2018学 年 相 比，2018至2019的新学年里远 赴中国实习的学生增加了至少 一倍。 胡先生指出，相对于其他国 家，中国有更多的实习机会。 他认为，学校应该派更多学生 到中国去实习。 他说：“中国是经济强国， 而新加坡是中国的最大的投资 国之一，所以让更多的学生到 中国去实习是非常有意义的。” 而当初选择到海外实习的何 同学想要借此机会开阔视野。 上学期在中国上海实习的何

世斌（22岁）本来对中国存有 偏见，不曾考虑到中国旅行， 更未曾想过自己会在中国实习 近六个月。 这位来自机械与宇航工程 学院的三年级生于是鼓起了勇 气，决定远赴上海，到康宁光 缆有限公司实习，实习范围主 要负责电子工程图绘画与零件 设计。 他说：“从小就不太喜欢中 国，可是也不知道自己为何会 对中国有偏见，所以才想趁着 实习的机会，到中国走走，认 识真正的中国。” 在上海实习了一学期后，何 同学体验了文化与思考方式上 的差异后，认为他的经验有助 于人生成长。 他表示：“在中国实习让我 意识到中文与中华文化的重要 性，有了文化，才有特色；有 了特色，你才是有价值的。” 此外， 他还认为在上海与他 合作的同事都非常认真、有热 忱的对待工作，是非常值得学 习的一种文化。 他坦言：“我从不喜欢中 国，到很喜欢中国。我觉得上 海是个很有人情味的城市，很 适合居住，生活也过得很舒 服、开心。” 何同学还表示虽然实习的工 资不高，甚至不足以支付生活 费，但是经验却更加宝贵。 他说：“如果将来有机会， 会认真考虑到上海发展事业。”

本地实习熟悉企业模式

在上海实习的何世斌（右二）本来对中国存有偏见，实习后的他比较欣赏中华文化。 图片：何世斌

无论在欧美国家还是中国的实 习，都必然给学生带来不同的 实习体验。不过，大部分的学 生因考虑到未来的事业规划，

所以选择在本地的企业公司完 成实习。 于2016至2017学年暑假完成 实习计划的唐雪晶（23岁）打 算在本地发展事业，因此想要 先熟悉本地企业公司的经营模 式。 她说：“选择在本地实习主 要是因为将来要在本地发展， 想趁着实习的时候深入了解相 关行业的经营模式、制度和发 展潜能等。” 这名社会科学院的四年级 生还说道，考虑到生活费的问 题，所以也决定留在本地实 习。另外，比起其他国家，她 认为本地的语言和文化相对多 元，是很好的企业文化。

In summary The Career and Attachment Office (CAO) revealed that there is a growing number of students heading overseas for their internships.

Internships are often a compulsory part of the curriculum for NTU students. In Academic Year 17/18, 250 undergraduates chose to step out of Singapore for their internships.

One of the destinations with the highest increase in internship seekers is China — participation numbers doubled to more than 50 students this year.

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生活

幸福新生校园 宿舍必需品 新学年的开始，也代表着南大的宿舍将会有新住户。无论你是刚入学的一年级 生，还是已经长期住宿的四年级生，南苑汇集了不同学生的“宿舍必需品”， 让同学搬进宿舍时能够准备齐全。

（文/陈昱嘉/黄璟蕙 插图/林馨怡） 1）杀虫剂 热带雨林的新加坡是虫子的 温床。更何况是置身于树林 旁的南大校舍，被大自然包 围肯定会有不受欢迎的“好 朋友”日夜来访。尤其是窗 口开着时，就要注意迎面而 来的昆虫。你可不想要在面 临害虫时，房里只有一卷报 纸和扫把，吓得束手无策。 房间里收着一罐杀虫剂，能帮你迅速解除虫害。

“有一次，我的宿舍房间里有一只会飞的蟑螂，但 我和室友都没有杀虫剂。我只好跑到另一栋宿舍楼 跟朋友借Baygon，才能把那蟑螂杀灭。” －南洋商学院二年级生梁慧祯（21岁）

4) 垃圾桶 虽然宿舍的走廊中通常都设有 垃圾桶，但是如果每一件垃圾 都要离开房间的话会很麻烦。 所以在搬进宿舍时可以带上一 个垃圾桶。如果你想要将垃圾 进行分类的话，可以带几个不 同颜色的垃圾桶，然后把纸、 铝罐及玻璃的垃圾丢进不同分 类桶。 “对我来说，住进宿舍时应该带上一个垃圾桶。因 为这样丢垃圾就比较方便，不需要离开自己的房间 到把垃圾丢进走廊上的大垃圾桶。” －机械与宇航工程学院二年级生陈思维（23岁）

2）Wifi 路由器 对现代学生来说，上网是 能查询世界各种资料库的 宝贵资源。如果宿舍房间 里的网络无法随时快速游 览网络上有的资料就带来 不少麻烦。为了避免这噩 梦发生，不妨考虑在搬进 宿舍时安装一个Wi-fi路由 器。这样，无论是观看最 新的电视剧还是用网际网 络搜寻资料，电脑能不能连接网络都不是你的问题。

“很多学生或许不知道，但是宿舍房间里并没有 Wi-fi所以路由器其实是非常重要的！” －数理科学院二年级生沈佳美（21岁）

5）多用插头 宿舍房间里只的电插头有 限，要为电脑、手机和冰箱 同时提供电力几乎是不可能 的事。这时，多用插头能一 次为多个电器提供电力，是 你的最好帮手。使用多用插 头时要注意安全，以避免电 线短路 (short-circuit)。

“多用插头（multiplug) 非常重要。宿舍里只有两 个插头，不足以同时让电话和电脑充电、开桌灯及 连接路由器。” －机械与宇航工程学院二年级生陈裕胜（25岁）

3) 绒毛玩具 新的学年，除了要适应学 期新的科目，住在宿舍也 需要时间适应新环境。大 家肯定各有一些珍惜的 “臭臭”或绒毛玩具，在 陌生宿舍里可给你温暖熟 悉的感觉。你在烦恼功课 或心情不好时，这些玩具 可以安慰你，为紧张的大 学生活带来一些欢乐。

“我觉得搬进宿舍时可以考虑带一些毛绒玩具，让 你在感到压力时可以放松。有了这些玩具，晚上也 比较好睡。” －南洋商学院二年级生李妤葶（21岁）

6）吸尘机 如果你觉得用扫把或抹布清 理房间太麻烦，那可以考虑 带一架吸尘机。这样，你不 用在清理房间时花那么多的 时间。同时，如果你对灰尘 过敏，用吸尘机来除尘会比 扫地更有效，是能预防你过 敏的好方法。

“吸尘机又快又容易使用，对清洁房间帮助不少。 尤其是周末累积很多尘埃时，可以快速解决。” －人文学院一年级生陈俊豪（22岁）

7) 阅览架

8）小型冰箱

9）吹风筒

每次考试期间来临时，就是 埋头苦读的时段。但有一样 东西能够让你在读书时没那 么苦，那就是个装置课本或 阅读资料的阅览架。用了 它，可能帮你减少颈部或肩 膀酸痛。

宿舍房间里没有提供冰箱。 若你想储存一些易腐食品， 如牛奶、乳酪及蔬菜，就必 须冷藏。要注意的是，房间 里的冰箱必须与宿舍行政室 注册，每个月要掏出额外费 用付冰箱水电费。但如果 你想在住宿期间学些烹饪技 巧，这“投资”是值得的。

俗话说“头可断，发型不能 乱！”，早上起来慌忙洗澡 后，只有五分钟把头发擦干 然后赶去学校时，吹风筒能 帮你把头发弄整齐。晚上睡 觉前最好也把头发吹干，不 然潮湿的头皮可能会导致明 早头疼。除此之外，吹风筒 也是提供暖气的法宝。

“对我来说带进宿舍最有用的东西是阅览架，让我 在读一些比较厚的课本是不需要一直低着头。” －南洋商学院二年级生陈如意（20岁）

“有了冰箱，你不仅可以有冷饮料喝，甚至可以下 厨烹煮一些简单的三餐。” －社会科学院四年级生梁慧琦 （24岁）

“我从YouTube视频网站学到个聪明小贴士：你也 可以用吹风筒把冷的食物弄暖！” －南洋商学院一年级生唐嘉仁 (21岁）

In summary Whether you are a freshman moving into a Hall of Residence for the first time, or a final-year student returning to your hall for the new school year, be sure to bring these must-have items — from bookends and soft toys to mini fridges and vacuum cleaners — with you.

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CHRONICLE 10 言论

选科时 成绩不是一切的考虑 新

的学年又开始了。我们 除了要在“选科大战” （Star Wars）中成功报读到自 己必修的课，该如何选择无限 制选修科目（Unrestricted Electives）也是大家面临的的一个烦 恼。 在考虑自己应选择哪些无限 制选修科目时，我们都会问周 围朋友: "哪些选修课目是作业量 偏少，又容易考得高分的？" 然后选择这些较“简单”的 科目，以确保自己的平均绩点 （Grade Point Average）不会因 报读难考的科目而受影响。 想要争取好成绩固然不是一 件坏事，但是只用成绩选择自 己所有的选修科目，未必是面 对学习的最佳态度。其实，在 报读的科目中，我们可以以科 目的难易程度选择一到两个科 目，而其余的科目，可以根据 自己的兴趣而选择。 即使自己没有把握能在科 目中考取好成绩，学习自己喜 欢的科目是个令人较开心的体 验。与其每周把三小时花在 自己不感兴趣的“容易”科目 上，不如选择自己喜欢的科

插图：陈培胜 目。这样，花在上课和学习的 时间，也会比较有意义。 新加坡国立教育学院2014年 的一项研究显示，学生在学习 自己有兴趣的科目时，与普通 学生相比，不仅学习到的内容 比较多，他们也能一举两得， 把上课时读到的内容记得更 久。由此可见，选择修读与自 己兴趣有关的选修课不只能让 你上课时更轻松，更能让你记 住上课时所学到的内容。 而选择自己喜欢的科目也 能让你发展自己的兴趣。你

可能是一名修读电子工程的学 生，在报读国际关系基础课程 （HA1001）后，发现自己更明 白新加坡的政治体制，对国家 大事更感兴趣。你可能是一名 修读科学的学生，上了黑白摄 影课程（DP2000）后，发现胶 片摄影的奥妙。 每个学期，根据自己的兴趣 选择一两个无限制选修科目， 可能会让你发现自己主修科目 以外的兴趣，为你打开多一扇 探索世界的窗户。 除此之外，主动学习与自

己兴趣有关的科目也可能扩大 社交圈，让你多认识一些其他 科系的同学。在历史课堂上， 可能接触到人文学院的同学。 在学习物理时，你可能会认识 一些数理科学院的朋友。而结 交这些在不同科系的朋友是一 件宝贵的事。大学生涯是我们 从青少年转折到成人的重要阶 段，多与自己不一样圈子里的 人交流，能够让你可以从不同 的角度观察与明白世界。 南大提供的无限制选修科目 其实琳琅满目，只要仔细找就 能发现一些从未料想过的科目。 想学习如何打排球吗？那就 报读国立教育学院的SS9105选修 科目。每个星期三个小时除了 学习排球的基本功，也有机与 其他学生成立队伍互相较量。 想明白体内的神经和免疫 系统的运作吗？那科学学院的 BS8011科目最适合你。 每个学期，我们在修课时有 这么多的选择，我们真的不必 拘泥于那几个公认的“容易” 科目。大学是我们在步入职业 世界前，最后一次可以在一个 不必多付费的环境下尝试学习

新科目的机会。我们如果只根 据成绩选科，那真的会浪费一 次好机会。 来临的两个星期里，在选科 时，除了报读自己可以考好的 科目以外，不妨考虑报读一两 个自己有兴趣的科目，让你可 以在考好成绩的同时，也学到 自己有兴趣的人，事，物。祝 贺大家好运！ （文/黄璟蕙）

In summary As the new semester begins, we are faced with the dilemma of choosing our modules.

When it comes to selecting our Unrestricted Electives (UEs), instead of pursuing modules that have a light workload and are easy to ace, we should try out modules that we are interested in.

This opinion piece discusses how our university years may be the best time for us to sign up for new and interesting courses before we enter the working world.

娱乐

《辛德勒的名单》二十五年后 依然惊心动魂

图片：环球影业

史

蒂 芬 · 史 匹 堡 （ S te v e n Spielberg）的《辛德勒的 名单》（Schindler's List）今年庆 祝上映二十五周年。这部1993 年上映，关于犹太人被纳粹军 残害的电影，在第六十六届奥 斯卡金像奖获得最佳导演等七 项大奖。这部电影集历史性与 艺术性于一体，是一部既有思 想又好看。 二十五年前的史匹堡导演得 到了启发，想诉说犹太人大屠 杀的故事。身为犹太人的他想

将大屠杀幸存者的故事加以记 录保存，让世世代代的人勿忘 这个历史事件。当他阅读澳洲 作家托马斯·肯尼利的小说《 辛德勒的方舟》后，决定将小 说改编成一部电影。 近三小时片长，全程几乎利 用黑白画面诉说犹太人被残害 的故事，《辛德勒的名单》是 一部充满挑战性的电影。它结 合了战争，生命，与人性等课 题，将这六百万人大屠杀的真 相搬上大银幕，成为电影历史 上的一座里程碑。 由连姆·尼森 (Liam Neeson）主演奥斯卡·辛德勒（Oskar Schindler），拉尔夫·费因 斯 （Ralph Fiennes）主演纳粹 军司令官，《辛德勒的名单》 描述着1939年的波兰在纳粹 德国的统治下，对犹太人进行 了隔离统治。辛德勒是一名德 国商人，在克拉科夫开了一间 工厂。他凭着大量的金钱和社 交能力与德军建立友好关系。 为了减低成本，与德军进行交 易，以低价聘用犹太人到他的 工厂打工。 几年后，被隔离在克拉科夫

的犹太人遭到惨不忍睹的大屠 杀。惨剧唤醒了辛德勒尚未泯灭 的人性。他决定贿赂德军，私底 下让犹太人到他的工厂避难。 德国战败前，集中营里屠杀 犹太人的行动越演越烈，而辛德 勒向德军开出了一千两百人的名 单，花了所有经费，买下这些犹 太人的生命，成功拯救了这些差 点惨死在集中营里的犹太人。 虽然上映时，许多人对史匹 堡导演的这部历史性的电影赞不 绝口，但也有不少人对《辛德勒 的名单》充满批评。 同样身为知名导演斯坦利· 库布里克（Stanley Kubrick）说 道：“《辛德勒的名单》并非关 注犹太人的大屠杀，而是德国人 的成就。犹太人的大屠杀残害了 六百万人而电影只关注被辛德勒 所拯救的一千名犹太人。” 库布里克导演认为这部电影 简化了历史上最最残忍的事件， 将受苦的犹太人统一化，利用犹 太人展现出辛德勒有多伟大。 这部电影了引起关于电影道 德的讨论：为了挑动观众的情 绪，导演应该将剧情夸大、戏剧 化吗？而在表现大屠杀之类的悲

剧时，如何注意适度，才能真 实地体现出犹太人身上当年发 生的悲惨遭遇？ 虽然史匹堡导演在拍摄这部 片时特意用了写实手法，试图 以纪录片的方式传达辛德勒的 故事。但好莱坞出身的他，难 免受到经典好莱坞叙事结构的 影响，把剧情列入经典的起承 转合，将主角英雄化，结尾非 要呈现一个封闭性的结尾不可。 试对于如此复杂的民族生死 课题，利用好莱坞式的处理方 法，是否会对亲身经历大屠杀 的犹太人不公？ 如今通讯科技发达，假新 闻泛滥，歧视性的评语容易传 播。《辛德勒的名单》提醒我 们在不久前，世界曾经历过如 此残忍的屠杀事件。 看到犹太人被无理的歧视 与攻击，日后又受折磨和被非 人化，让我们领悟到今日社会 里，歧视态度更加容易通过网 络一传十十传百，让我们沉迷 于团体迷思。我们应该如何积 极抗拒对某个群体的歧视态 度，以杜绝类似的残忍悲剧， 再次发生。 （文/罗恺盈）

In summary 25 years later, Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List still proves to be one of the greatest films. The movie, which won Spielberg his first “Best Director” award at the Oscars, depicts Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson), a German businessman, saving 1200 Jewish prisoners-of-war from their persecution at Auschwitz.

Widely lauded during its release for conveying the Holocaust story to the Western audience, the film is not without its critics, who disapproved of how Spielberg generalized the Jews to highlight Schindler’s heroism.

In this age where anti-semitic views can be widely propagated through social media, Schindler’s List reminds us that bigotry is real, and we should fight it to prevent the Holocaust from happening again.

Sports

Power to the players

PHOTO: KERH POH CHONG

The practice of “poaching“ sports players from other Halls of Residence remains controversial due to the finite number of places available.

For Halls of Residence, attracting athletes from competitor halls by offering them a hall room may be a common practice, but this move remains a controversial one Sherlyn Seah LAST November, Hall of Residence 11 resident Wang Fang Jie was offered a place in Hall of Residence 16 — on the condition that she played for their badminton team.

Wang, an Institute-Varsity-Polytechnic (IVP) badminton player for NTU, was initially reluctant to leave behind the friends she had in Hall 11. But after comparing her options, she decided to make the switch.

“In the end I chose Hall 16 because it’s nearer to my classes, the room interior is bigger, and of course because of IHG (Inter-Hall Games),” said Wang, 20.

Switching halls allowed her to play for a stronger IHG team, together with her IVP mates.

“Almost all the IVP players are in either Hall 3 or 16. So Hall 16’s players are generally stronger than 11’s,” she said.

Over the years, it has become a trend for halls to offer well-

performing athletes from competitor halls a hall room, so that these athletes can play for their team instead.

This is especially common for the top-ranking halls that face pressure to retain their championship titles.

Recommendation offers are not against hall regulations, but whether it is fair for halls to “poach” residents remains a touchy subject.

“All halls can poach for players if they want to. But it’s unfair when some halls are seen as better than others.”

Nur Hanisah. 21 Sports secretary Hall 1 JCRC

Nur Hanisah, a third-year School of Humanities student, was previously approached by several halls to join their teams, but ultimately turned them down to take up leadership roles in her current hall.

“All halls can poach for players if they want to. But it’s unfair when some halls are seen as better than others,” added Hanisah, 21, who is

the sports secretary of Hall of Residence 1’s Junior Common Room Committee (JCRC) and hockey captain of the hall team.

This puts some halls on the losing end, if their good players switch to join other halls, she added.

A sensitive issue

The practice remains controversial because it involves giving places in hall to people from other halls, said Galen Ng, Hall 3’s sports secretary and a second-year School of Humanities student.

Because of this, some current residents might feel that recommendation offers are unfair, as they have to compete with incoming athletes and possibly lose their existing rooms to them.

“It’s already challenging to secure a spot for another year, what more now with offers given to players who weren’t even originally from here,” said existing resident Christine Ng, a second-year Nanyang Business School student.

To those concerns, Ng, 22, emphasised the official stance of his hall’s JCRC: “We definitely prioritise our own residents. Only then do we consider those from other halls who would like to come over.”

He added that there is also a limit to the number of people a hall can recommend in from other halls, depending on each year’s hall appli-

cation numbers.

This ensures that it remains fair to other residents.

“If a player feels that he has potential to grow in other halls, I think he deserves that opportunity. And the hall benefits from that too.”

Ryan Foo. 22 Sports secretary Hall 16 JCRC

“With the limit, the chances for current residents (to retain their places) are still high. So I don’t think they would feel unfair about the hall offering outside players to join. If they really wanted to stay in hall they would have contributed, and naturally retain their place.”

Win-win situation

With its reputation as a top-performing sports hall, taking in athletes from other halls is common practice for Hall 16.

This move would benefit both

the hall and the transferring athlete, said Hall 16’s sports secretary Ryan Foo. “If a player feels that he has potential to grow in other halls, I think he deserves that opportunity. And the hall benefits from that too,” said the secondyear Civil and Environmental Engineering student.

About 10 per cent of Hall 16’s sportsmen and women are players previously from other halls.

“But every year is different, and not all of our teams have players who were from other halls,” said Foo, 22.

Hall 3’s Ng said that for the players, it is a matter of weighing their choices and choosing the better option — something that should not be seen as unfair.

When second-year School of Humanities student Sim Jia Zhen was offered a place in Hall 6’s softball team, she made the move from Hall 1 to reconnect with her former teammates from pre-university.

“It wasn’t so much about which hall was better,” said Sim, 20. “My past teammates from secondary school and junior college are all in Hall 6, and one of them is the sports secretary.

“I wanted to play with my friends for one last time as one team before we all went for exchange, and I could only do that if I switched halls.”

18-19 SPORTS

Pushing on for park Parkour is gaining recognition among Singaporeans, who see it as a lifestyle rather than an extreme sport Toh Xun Qiang WHEN 24-year-old Azhar Khidzer first watched a video of a man jumping over rooftops onto a spiral staircase in 2014, he decided that he would never try parkour in his life at all.

With its use of high jumps and long-distance leaps, the practice seemed like an extreme sport to the final-year School of Humanities student. He didn’t want to risk getting injured.

But 25-year-old Mr Soumya Brata Das begs to differ. Mr Soumya, who has been parkouring since 2014, sees the activity as a lifestyle instead of a sport like badminton or basketball.

He is not alone — the increasing number of parkour practitioners in Singapore typically regard parkour as a lifestyle.

For Mr Soumya, it didn’t take him long to realise that parkour movements are similar to those he performs in his everyday life.

“Walking, jumping, and everything that I did during training was done everywhere outside of training. Just like how if the ground was wet, I would jump over it,” said Mr Soumya, who graduated from the School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences this year.

It’s my life Parkour is an athletic activity that was created in the suburbs of France by David Belle and Sebastien Foucan in the late 1980s.

It translates to “obstacle course” from the French word parcourt.

The main objective is for traceurs — parkour practitioners — to adapt to and overcome any obstacle they encounter in their environment.

Mr Soumya first began parkouring when he attended a jam — a mass training session for traceurs, out of curiosity.

The jam, which still takes place monthly at various locations around Singapore, is organised by the local parkour community, Parkour Singapore.

Four years into parkour, Mr Soumya has now integrated it into his everyday life.

“The world is like a giant playground to me.

“I can visualise paths that can be used to make emergency exits in times of need that many people

who are not trained in parkour cannot, simply because they will not be confident of clearing the obstacles that they might face,” he said.

Creativity in danger Spurred by an interest in staying active, second-year Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) student Neelabh Gupta, 22, began parkouring in 2016.

While he recognises that parkour requires a high level of physical fitness just like most sports, he regards it as a lifestyle as it has helped him understand how to adapt his own bodily movements to the environment.

“The world is like a giant playground to me. I can visualise paths that can be used to make emergency exits in times of need that many people who are not trained in parkour cannot, simply because they will not be confident of clearing the obstacles that they might face.”

moving,” he added.

Parkouring in Singapore In general, parkour can be practised anywhere in Singapore, as long as one does not trespass or disrupt public order.

According to Mr Soumya, most traceurs train at their own comfort levels, with a range of movements such as jumping or swinging across distances, walking along a balancing beam, as well as basic exercises to maintain their fitness.

There are also jams conducted by parkour training academies, which are led by experienced traceurs.

Mr Soumya added that for beginner traceurs, it is best to train with other experienced traceurs, and not alone.

Second-year MSE student Li Jia Yang, 20, started learning parkour with local parkour training academy A2 Movement shortly before entering university.

“There are a lot of things to keep you safe,” Li said.

“We learn how to go slowly, from building strength, to balancing on railings while standing, and also some rolling techniques to breakour falls.”

Traceurs are also progressively trained to build their mental and physical endurance as they learn new moves.

For example, they start by familiarising themselves with the positioning of their arms and feet when learning a Kong vault, a parkour move to jump over long objects such as large barriers.

After determining the starting

Mr Soumya Brata Das, 25 Fresh graduate School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences

He applies his parkour knowledge of breaking falls when he plays frisbee, to help him reduce the injuries that he may sustain.

“If I jump for the frisbee and am about to fall, I know how to break my fall and walk out of that situation without getting injured,” he said.

Neelabh also regards parkour as a form of art.

This is because traceurs can be creative in deciding what method to use when they face an obstacle.

“When people see a railing, they normally walk around it, but I can vault over it, do an underbar, balance on it, or jump over it,” he said.

“You can come up with whatever method you want because everyone has their own unique way of

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2 position, traceurs then learn the launch-off angle, before finally leaping over an obstacle with an actual Kong vault.

train at their own pace.

“Don’t be scared to try. It’s fun and it gets addictive after a while,” she said.

Spreading their passion

“It’s normal to regard (parkour) as dangerous, but you have to also see the hard work put into it. ” Neelabh Gupta, 22 Second-year student School of Materials Science and Engineering

While it is inevitable that traceurs experience injuries such as scratches and abrasions, Li encourages people to try parkour, as everyone gets the chance to

Mr Soumya and Neelabh have plans to establish parkour as a constituent club in NTU. They started a Facebook page called Momentum: Parkour at NTU Singapore in March to gather interested undergraduates and train together on campus.

However, the pair find it difficult to establish parkour as a formal club as it is still regarded as a dangerous sport by many.

“The reason parkour is deemed to be dangerous is because of how the stunts look.

“For example, people see someone jumping off from a height and find it unsafe.

“But what people don’t see is the time and effort spent training for (the jump).

“It’s normal to regard (parkour)

4 as dangerous, but you have to also see the hard work put into it — and with practice, you’ll get better eventually,” said Neelabh.

Though there are currently only a handful of students in NTU who parkour together on a regular basis, Li, the club’s likely chairperson, hopes that the club’s establishment would encourage more of her peers to try out parkour.

“Parkour can be a great way to look at our campus in a new light, and interact with the built environment differently.

“It’s a great way to try out something new and to keep fit,” she said.

1. Mr Soumya Brata Das hangs effortlessly from a wall. Though he does not regard parkour as a sport, Mr Soumya has become physically fitter and stronger ever since he picked it up.

2. (From left) Li Jia Yang, Mr Soumya and Neelabh Gupta are part of the small number of NTU students who parkour together regularly. Interested students can find out more from their Facebook page “Momentum: Parkour at NTU Singapore”.

3. Neelabh performs a parkour move, the Kong vault, as he jumps from a low wall to a railing.

4. Mr Soumya attempts to perform a high jump over a wall.

PHOTOS: LEE YI HONG

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