Vol 25. Issue 9

THE NANYANG

CHRONICLE INSIDE Snipping for success

VOL. NO.

25

09 08.04.19

ISSN NO. 0218-7310

We must be open-minded: HSK As the discussion continues on Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat’s comment that older Singaporeans might not be ready for a nonChinese prime minister, NTU students at the NTUSU Ministerial Forum offer practical steps to help create a more open mindset REXANNE YAP

Giving haircuts in Hall is this barber’s way of keeping his dream alive

SPOTLIGHT | Pages 8-9

我的客工朋友

更多南大学生自发组织活动， 了解客工的世界

新闻| Pages 10-11

Young and capable

NTU alumnus is the youngest to helm one of Singapore’s top professional football clubs

SPORTS | Pages 15-16

Why ban the Arts?

The banning of Watain’s performance sets a dangerous precedent for future artistes

OPINION | Page 7

After hearing Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat emphasise the need for openmindedness and social interaction, students here expressed their surprise when he said that Singapore is not yet ready for a nonChinese prime minister (PM).

Mr Heng was speaking to more than 700 students and staff at the annual ministerial forum organised by the NTU Students’ Union on 28 Mar at the Lee Kong Chian Lecture Theatre. He was responding to Assistant Professor Walid Jumblatt Abdullah from the School of Social Sciences, who had asked whether it was Singapore or the People’s Action Party that was not ready for a nonChinese prime minister.

While a majority of the audience, when polled by Mr Heng, expressed that they would be happy to have a non-Chinese prime minister, the prime minister-designate said that his interactions with Singaporeans have shown that such views “would not be as common” among older Singaporeans.

Goh Aik Chuan, a final-year student from the National Institute of Education, was surprised at Mr Heng’s comments.

“I feel it’s important to learn about the different mindsets and views of people of all age groups. I believe education is the key in encouraging Singaporeans to be more open to have a minority PM,” said the 27-year-old.

Mr Heng credited the students’ progressive views to the success of the policy of “regardless of race, language or religion”. To emphasise racial inclusivity at the institutional level, the Singapore government had to take steps to reserve the presidential elections for the minority.

“I do think at the right time, when enough people think that way, we may have a minority country leader. And that’s something we can all hope for,” said Mr Heng.

Violet Phua, 24, a final-year student from the School of Materials Science and Engineering agreed with his observation and wishes that more can be done to represent the needs of minority races.

“Singaporeans are getting more concerned and open about micro-racism. Perhaps we can be more patient and hopeful that we would be able to bridge that gap. We should take initiative to befriend people who come from different backgrounds,” said Phua.

But some students are not so quick to place the blame on older Singaporeans.

Ng Kai Xiang, 24, a third-year student from the School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences said: “I think the ruling party should

Finance Minister Heng Swee Kiat spoke at NTU on Apr 1 about being open-minded and learning from other cultures while also commenting that the older generations of Singaporeans are not ready for an ethnic minority prime minister, a point some students disagreed with.

be more accountable to the people on how they choose their prime minister and if needed, give a clear reason why the prime minister is not from a minority race.

“They should also do a statistical analysis of why the older generation thinks this way before coming to a conclusion.”

Immigration and multiculturalism Mr Heng also stressed the need for an open mindset toward immigration and population.

Damian Koh, 23, a second-year student from Nanyang Business School asked if the White Paper projection of 6.9 million residents still stands, stating that citizens’ quality of life could be maintained if the population was smaller.

Mr Heng responded by saying that Singapore has the physical capacity to hold more than 6.9 million, but acknowledged that social space and the sense of togetherness is a difficult issue to tackle.

He encouraged students to interact and understand others, including new immigrants, immediate neighbours, and students from other universities.

In his speech, he reflected upon the Singapore Bicentennial – the commemoration of British arrival in 1819 – that bilingualism and openness were the secrets to Singapore’s economic success when ASEAN was still developing economically.

He encouraged students who went on overseas exchange programmes to take the opportunity to learn about another culture and judge for themselves what is worth emulating.

“We don’t want a world where people build walls around themselves,” he said, making a reference to US President Donald Trump’s campaign promise on building a wall, and garnered laughs from the audience.

Radhika Gupta, 21, a second-year student from the School of Social Sciences thought

PHOTO: JOEL CHAN

that local students can do more to include international and exchange students in NTU. “There’s a psychological impact of immigration on Singaporeans apart from economic advantages. A lot of us are just stuck in our own bubble in NTU – we don’t really go out of our way (to include them).

With more exchange students coming in, I think they can really refresh our perspectives,” said Gupta.

Job security in an age of automation On the technological front, establishing an open attitude towards digital innovation is also important.

Mr Heng addressed concerns that students had about automation taking over potential white-collar jobs for graduates.

He said that Singaporeans need to be the masters of technology and not the slaves to it.

“Our education system must allow us to learn the skills needed for more valuable tasks where human creativity and empathy can do better (than robots),” said Mr Heng.

Additionally, he added that more employers are hiring based on interpersonal and leadership skills rather than academics and IQ alone.

“Our companies must think very hard about redesigning jobs and reskilling our workers. We, especially the young people in this room, cannot take graduation as the end of learning.”

Mr Heng added that through e-commerce, we should be thinking of how we can provide a unique product not just for Singapore, but for the world.

Tan Jun Xiang, 27, a final-year student from the School of Computer Science and Engineering agrees we should build functionality, especially in digital technology, and impact others beyond our shores.

“We have to market ourselves as a value asset to the world to stay relevant,” said Tan.

News Bringing the arts to campus This year’s Nanyang Arts Festival made the arts more accessible to the NTU community by introducing more workshops and collaborating with external vendors for the first time YUKI LING THE TYPICAL cost of a cupcake frosting workshop is about $230 per person, but NTU students were able to participate for free at a workshop held during the Nanyang Arts Festival (NAF) this year.

The workshop was one of six conducted by external vendors — a marked change from previous editions of NAF. In the past, all workshops were conducted by student-run clubs in NTU, such as NTU MJ Hip Hop Dance Club and NTU Lindy Hop. This year, the external vendors that participated in the two-monthlong festival include home-based bakery Blossom De Cake, hand-lettering company HoppingHope and Artefakts, a local craft workshop.

The number of workshops available this year more than doubled to 26 after organisers received an oversubscription for the 11 workshops on offer last year.

“The maximum number of participants for each workshop this year is kept between 10 to 25 to make the workshops manageable for instructors and conducive for participants,” said the NAF Main Committee Workshop Organiser, Lee Jia Ying.

In response to the increase in the number and variety of workshops, there were more than 300 students who signed up for workshops within the first one and a half weeks of registration this year.

“Clearly the demand is more than the supply. I feel sad that we have to reject some people who want to participate in the workshops,” said Samuel Chan, 23, chairperson of the NAF this year.

For final-year student Loo Yee Feng, attending the cupcake frosting workshop this year was the first time he participated in NAF — an event that debuted in 2003.

“How often do you see a cupcake frosting workshop in school?” said Loo, a School of Social Sciences student.

“Normally when students join workshops, they just listen instead of doing hands-on activities. This workshop lets us experience (frost-

A cupcake frosting workshop was offered for free at this year’s Nanyang Arts Festival and was a hit amongst students.

ing cupcakes) and bring home our final product.”

Learning from experts Collaboration with external vendors was also part of the NAF’s plans to expand and publicise the festival beyond NTU, said Lee, a first-year student from the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information.

“It’s expensive to learn outside of school, so we bring the workshops to NTU for students to try them out for free.

“As the workshops are one-off, they are low commitment too,” said the 20-year-old.

Ms Pauline Koh, who owns Blossom De Cake, conducted the workshop on cupcake frosting which focused on creating flower designs using Korean buttercream.

Ms Koh, 56, felt that the workshop was meaningful as there was a pay-as-you-wish element where participants could donate any amount they wanted at the end of the workshop.

All proceeds would go to the Singapore Cancer Society.

“The students were all very eager to learn. I’m especially impressed by the three guys who did so well, as usually girls are more proficient

in this,” said Ms Koh. Another external collaboration was a sign language workshop, headed by an instructor from the local deaf community.

Chua Zhong Zhe, a second-year School of Materials Science and Engineering student, felt that the sign language workshop was very informative, especially since the instructor was from the deaf community herself.

Said Chua, 24: “We were in an environment where we were forced to use sign language to communicate so it made the class much more focused.”

A spotlight on lesser-known art electives

The National Institute of Education (NIE)’s Visual and Performing Arts Academic Group (VPA) also collaborated with the NAF for the first time this year, offering creative workshops such as acrylic painting, silkscreen painting, batik making and sculpting.

These are typically offered as semester-long modules at NIE. A spokesperson from NIE, who did not want to be named, said that they was determined to showcase the variety of NIE modules and workshops that are available to

students on campus.

“Engagement in the arts develops skills in the affective domain, which in turn is assistive to collaborative skills like learning to work in a team and subsequently building valuable relationships,” added the spokesperson.

Yet, some students still remain unconvinced about taking up these semester-long art modules.

Chua, who participated in the sign language workshop held during the NAF, said: “I would rather take modules that are more relevant to my working experience.”

While students like Chua had little interest in taking these art modules as examinable subjects, thirdyear NIE student Lee Zi Xuan, who attended the painting with acrylic workshop, believes that the NAF has helped raise awareness on these opportunities available.

“The professor who conducted the workshop actually teaches the painting with acrylic module at NIE. He showed examples of past students’ work and let us experience what the elective would be like,” said Lee, 22.

Chan, a second-year School of Social Sciences student, believes that the workshops held during the NAF lower the barriers to entry for

PHOTO: JOEL CHAN

students who wish to try their hand at art modules but are afraid of committing too much time or compromising their grades.

“If we present the opportunity to students, we will definitely find people who would want to try out the arts, but couldn’t find the opportunity to,” he said.

“Normally when students join workshops, they just listen instead of doing handson activities. This workshop lets us experience (frosting cupcakes) and bring home our final product.”

Loo Yee Feng, 24, Final-year student School of Social Science

VOL. NO.

25

NEWS

THE NANYANG

09 CHRONICLE

03

Hacking for a good cause Inaugural hackathon HackNTU opens the door to hacking for the everyday student JONATHAN CHEW AT FIRST glance, seeing students huddled over the screens of their laptops in the Arc building would not appear out of the ordinary.

But take a closer look and instead of lecture notes or academic papers, you will see lines of code being rapidly typed out at NTU’s firstever HackNTU event on 23 Mar. The 24-hour-long hackathon, jointly organised by the NTU Student Union and SearchElect, an information technology (IT) recruiter, attracted around 300 participants from NTU as well as the wider public.

Abhishek Bhagwat, 20, who is on the organising team for HackNTU, said that the educational component of hackathons is more relevant than ever.

This is given the recent issues in cybersecurity experienced in Singapore, such as the data leaks involving HIV patients this February and blood donors last month.

The issues have also prompted the government to increase its focus on cybersecurity.

In December last year, the government invited 400 ethical hackers to search for vulnerabilities in some of its systems and websites, with rewards given for each reported bug. 26 bugs were found, leading the government to further expand the programme.

In December 2017, a bug bounty programme was also conducted for the Ministry of Defence where 35 bugs were found and fixed.

A bug bounty programme is an event where hackers are invited by the Government to look for vulnerablilites in public systems and websites. These hackers are rewarded between US$250 to US$10,000, depending on the threat bug would have posed.

Abhishek pointed to the ability of this event to increase public awareness on cybersecurity issues.

“HackNTU helps people to be more aware of cybersecurity and how systems can be exploited. In this way, educating people would help them take cybersecurity more seriously,” said the second-year student from the School of Computer Science and Engineering (SCSE).

Rohan Gautam, 18, agreed with the sentiment. He said: “With the recent data breaches in government systems, it is extremely important that future IT professionals know about cybersecurity, even if they don't plan on working directly in the field of cybersecurity.”

Participants at the Arc work furiously to crack the system in the first-ever HackNTU's capture-the-flag challenge

The first-year SCSE student, who was also part of the winning team, added: “The event taught participants how hacking is done, as well as the methods that need to be implemented to keep data secure.”

“It also provides a fun way to introduce topics which would otherwise seem too complex or scary for beginners.”

The hackathon comprised two components, a main segment and a separate capture-the-flag type of competition.

The main segment gave participants 24 hours to create their own hacks following the theme of SmartNation – titled similarly to the government initiative – in a bid to encourage the use of technology to improve lives.

All teams were given full reign to craft their project based on the theme, but only eight made it to the final round.

From there, one winner was picked based on the level of completion in their hacks, the social impact, technical difficulty, and user friendliness of their creations and how much they impressed the judges.

The winning project was an artificial intelligence (AI) representa-

tive in parliament which functions as a live lie-detection system.

The system based its lie-detection criteria on scanning people’s emotions through their faces, speech abnormalities such as pausing and stuttering, and the sentiment of their speech using Natural Language Processing.

Natural Language Processing is a field in AI that focuses on helping computers to understand and process spoken human languages.

The system also consists of a live fact-checker. It records a transcript of what was said and compares it against a database to determine if the content was accurate.

The project was the brainchild of SCSE students, Rohan, 18, as well as teammates Lakshyajeet Dwivedee and Atrik Das, both 19. The team also managed to clinch the “Best Freshman Hack” award.

Rohan said: “Our project would have a huge impact on how society operates. With fact-checking, the average person can then have a trusted and non-biased opinion on what a politician has said.”

In a separate capture-the-flag competition, participants were required to solve hacking challenges of varying difficulties.

Here, participants completed challenges set within a simulated banking system through hacking.

Each successful attempt awarded them a password known as a “flag”, which they would earn points for.

The team with the most points at the end of the event would emerge as the winner.

Other activities during the hackathon included coding workshops, which saw industry professionals and NTU students with coding experience helping participants who were new at it.

Abhishek, who also conducted a workshop himself, explained that “hacking” need not always be seen as negative.

Instead, it can be seen as the positive use of computer science and technology to create solutions to help society.

“In hackathons such as HackNTU, it takes on a different meaning which is more similar to ‘developing’ instead.

“I organise hackathons because I am very passionate about building a hacker culture for positive causes."

The draw of hacking For some, the hackathon provided

PHOTO : JOEL CHAN

a way to meet new people and express themselves.

“You can just go down for 24 hours and just build something out of nothing, while building some skills and making friends along the way,” said Goh Puay Hiang, 22.

The second-year student from SCSE also recalled his experiences participating in other hackathons outside of NTU. “Going through a 24-hour-long event is almost sadistic, but you kind of enjoy it,” he said.

“After your first or second time going with your friends, you might not do well or you might build something nice, but either way you will learn something.”

The hackathon also had some participants with no prior experience in hacking and programming.

Arunkumar Raaj Sre Subiksha, 20, was one such participant. The third-year student from the School of Chemical and Biological Engineering (SCBE) formed a team with her friends who were all first-timers as well.

“Coding may not be for everyone, but if learning at this hackathon can pique my interest then I believe that I would continue learning more.”

Lifestyle All about laughs A student-initiated stand-up comedy night held last month saw some NTU students having their first go at being stand-up comedians. Krishveen Kaur finds out more about the highlights of the event

A group of exchange students were among the full-house crowd at the inaugural Comedy night @thelaughinglyon, held at Pen & Inc.

Dominique Nelson, 23, shares her experience as a non-chinese speaking student in NTU through comedy.

IT WAS around 7.30pm on 28 Mar when undergraduates Jayshree Khemlani, 22, Darshini R, 21, and Rohit Kumar, 23, were briefing a group of stand-up comedians on their cues before the inaugural Comedy night @thelaughinglyon.

Inspired by the NTU’s mascot Lyon the Lion, the trio gave themselves the name “@ thelaughinglyon” this year when they were putting this event together.

This would be the group’s first experience organising a stand-up comedy event, in a bid to search for stand-up comedians among the NTU community.

“As I popped my head out from behind the curtains while preparing the comics, I was surprised to see that the place was packed.

Some people even had to stand as there were no seats left,” said Jayshree.

A microphone was set up in the corner of Pen & Inc, the fusion bar and restaurant located on campus, for the two-hour event.

Admission to the event was free and they also offered discounts for drinks.

“We felt like we were entering a black box when we were organizing this event.

“Besides worrying constantly about whether there would be a crowd, we were having a hard time finding student comedians to audition from NTU, which was an important highlight for our event,” added Jayshree, who was also the emcee for the event, as it

“If the Malay woman called her mother to tell her she was being kidnapped, I think the mother would reply, ‘It’s okay go ahead, I have ten more children at home’,” said Dominique to an audience who burst out in laughter.

was too costly to hire one.

Despite the bumpy journey in organising this event, the trio were still set on making it happen.

“After watching so many stand-up comedy events in Singapore, we really wanted to bring this idea to NTU because there were bound to be some local talents among us,” said Jayshree.

First-time comedians Among the seven acts of the night, three NTU students were attempting stand-up comedy for the first time.

Dominique Nelson, a final-year student at the School of Social Sciences, was one of these three comedians.

She was determined to raise awareness about racism through comedy.

“Among my friends I would say I am the funniest and since most of my friends are Chinese, it is hard to suppress jokes that involve racial stereotypes,” said the 23-year-old.

One of the jokes which the audience particularly enjoyed was a reimagined scenario of a recent video that went viral involving a Malay Gojek driver and a female Chinese passenger.

“Imagine a role reversal, where the Gojek driver was a Chinese and the passenger was a Malay woman instead.

“After watching so many stand-up comedy events in Singapore, we really wanted to bring this idea to NTU because there were bound to be some local talents among us.”

Jayshree Khemlani, 22 Organiser Comedy night @thelaughinglyon

Another highlight from Dominique’s act were the everyday things which she, as a non-Chinese speaking student, struggle with here at NTU. Minutes before her act, Dominique was pacing up and down behind the curtains,

mumbling her lines to herself.

She said: “They make it look so easy in comedy shows but I was so scared I would forget my lines.”

Rohit Kumar, 23, was not as worried about forgetting his lines but rather, whether he could actually hear his audience laugh from the stage.

“I could barely see the audience while on stage because the spotlights blinded me.

“I really had to depend on hearing them laugh or clap in order to continue with my next line,” he said.

Rohit, who is also part of the organising committee, @thelaughinglyon, was inspired to perform after watching a stand-up comedy act by SPH radio personality, Mr Shaun Tupaz.

“It was the first comedy gig I attended locally and I was in awe of Shaun who dressed up as a drag queen that night.

“I really felt he was going all out to make his audience laugh and this idea resonated with me a lot,” said Rohit, a second-year student at the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering.

Rohit dedicated his act to some of his friends from the engineering faculty, who came down to support him.

But one challenge that Rohit faced was trying to inject Singaporean slang words into his skit, as he did not grow up speaking Sin-

From left: Rohit Kumar, 23; Dominique Nelson, 23 and Shahirah Banu, 21, made their debut as stand-up comedians at the event.

Radio personality and stand-up comedian, Mr Shaun Tupaz, attended the comedy night as a guest. He was invited by Rohit Kumar, one of the event organisers.

glish in his household.

“I feel that Singlish is an important factor in Singaporean humor and most of my audience will be Singaporean. But Singlish does not come naturally to me,” said Rohit.

Despite his concern, the audience still responded postively to his jokes.

After this event, Rohit is excited to pursue his interest in stand-up comedy further.

“I would definitely try stand-up again. The adrenaline you get when you hear the place erupt with laughter after hearing your jokes is priceless.”

up comedy for the first time in their life, I think it was really well executed,” said Mr Tupaz, who added that Rohit’s act was one of his favourites.

“They make it look so easy in comedy shows but I was so scared I would forget my lines.”

Dominique Nelson, 23 Final-year student School of Social Sciences

For Shahirah Banu, she wanted to share with her audience something that everyone, and not just NTU students, could relate to.

Funny anecdotes from her mother are what the second-year student at the School of Humanities often enjoyed sharing with her friends at school.

One such story, Shahirah recalled, was when she lied to her mother that she had picked up smoking cigarettes.

“I decided to tell her that I started smoking because, like any Asian parent, I assumed she would get really hysterical.

“However, she reacted by saying ‘as if you can afford it’ with a blank expression on her face,” she said, to an audience of students and working adults.

Although initially uncertain of the crowd’s reaction towards her mother’s anecdotes, Shahirah believed sharing stories about her intimate relationship with her mother would help her build a rapport with the audience.

“I couldn’t see that well from the stage, but hearing them cheer and clap really made me

feel like they could definitely relate to my funny anecdotes.”

Reactions from the audience In a post-event feedback survey conducted by the team, they found that 94 per cent of the audience would come for the event if it was happening again.

Among this group of satisfied audiences were exchange students, who had their first taste of local humour at the event.

Cameron Mackinnon, 21, an exchange student from Canada, heard about the event from a classmate.

He decided to attend the event with his other exchange student friends.

“I would definitely try stand-up again. The adrenaline you get when you hear the place erupt with laughter after hearing your jokes is priceless.”

“...it was nice to experience comedy on the other side of the world.”

Cameron Mackinnon, 21 Exchange student

Among those who came down to support their friends was Nelson’s final-year project partner, Rebecca Goh, 24, who took time to brainstorm with Nelson about her jokes over a bowl of frog porridge.

“I always thought Dominique was a very animated person who enjoyed making fun of

herself and the things around her.

“She is a combination of my two favourite comedians, Aziz Ansari and Kumar. So I really pushed her to try and deliver jokes on stage,” said Goh. With positive responses from the audience and stand-up comedians, the organising trio, who referred to this event as their pet project, hopes to make this a semesterly affair.

“I wasn’t expecting to see people who weren’t from NTU show up since this was a small-scale event.

“I think this event was really a hit and we definitely want to make this happen more frequently,” said Darshini.

The organisers of the comedy night also have plans of turning this into an official student club.

They will further disscuss their plans with NTU. “Ultimately, we really just want to bring some laughter to the NTU community,” said Darshini.

Rohit Kumar, 23 First-time stand-up comedian

“It’s not everyday that you hear about a comedy night happening in school,” said Mackinnon.

“I think the acts were really funny even though sometimes the jokes were slightly fast paced.

“It was nice to experience comedy on the other side of the world,” he added.

Also among the audience was a familiar face in Singapore’s entertainment scene, Mr Shaun Tupaz.

He made time for the event after hearing about it from Rohit.

“I didn’t really understand some of the NTU-related jokes.

“But for people who were doing stand-

The organisers, Darshni R (second row, second from left), 21; Jayshree Khemlani (seated), 22; and Rohit Kumar (last row, first from right), 23, with the stand-up comedians after the event.

PHOTOS: AUDREY LEONG

Opinion EDITORIAL

Remember our pledge IN RECENT weeks, a slew of controversial events in Singapore have thrown a spotlight on the issue of cultural acceptance and tolerance here.

Early last month, Swedish metal band Watain was abruptly banned from performing in Singapore by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

This came after an online petition that garnered some 16,000 signatures pushed for the concert to be cancelled. The petition described the band as “not (representing) the culture which we want in our youths”.

Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam explained that it was the reaction from the Christian community in Singapore that resulted in the ban, even though the performance was initially approved, according to a Channel NewsAsia report on 1 Apr. The decision by MHA triggered massive backlash online, with many netizens questioning if Singapore is truly a secular society.

On 28 Mar, Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat spoke in NTU about how many older Singaporeans are not ready for an ethnic minority Prime Minster.

Similarly, Mr Heng’s comments were met with criticism from the online community, with many questioning the basis of his statements. They felt that such

blanket claims can potentially damage the social fabric of our society.

Both topics are covered in this issue of the Chronicle — the former in our Opinion section and the latter in our News section.

Such events run the risk of dividing Singaporeans and undoing the work our forefathers have achieved in unifying us as a nation, regardless of race, language or religion.

It is in such uncertain times where we should look to the people around us, no matter their faith or skin colour, and reassure them that we are all Singaporeans, and that we can only progress if we learn to be more accepting of different beliefs and practices.

We should not let politics wholly influence our relationships or choices, nor should we seek to impose our views on others for our own personal gain.

As a multiracial and multireligious society, each of the communities may have different viewpoints on the same issue, said Nominated Member of Parliament Walter Theseira.

But he reiterates this: “Our society must keep that common wellspring clear. If we each seek to dye the water according to our own particular persuasion, we will soon find that there is nothing but darkness there.”

THE NANYANG

CHRONICLE CHIEF EDITOR Khairul Anwar

DEPUTY CHIEF EDITOR Natalie Choy

LIFESTYLE EDITOR Edwin Chan

OPINION EDITOR Jeanne Mah

SUB-EDITOR

CHINESE EDITOR

Nicole Lim

Tan Yu Jia

NEWS EDITOR

Deepanraj Ganesan

DIGITAL EDITOR

PHOTO/ GRAPHIC EDITOR

PRODUCTION SUPPORT

Joel Chan

Joe Tok Kenny Wong

BUSINESS MANAGERS

FACULTY ADVISORS

Vanessa Tan Vinice Yeo

Wu Shangyuan Zakaria Zainal

LAYOUT SUPERVISOR Yeo Kai Wen

Natasha Ganesan

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

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU Facebook: The Nanyang Chronicle Instagram: @nanyangchronicle Website: www.nanyangchronicle.ntu.edu.sg General Enquiries: chronicle@e.ntu.edu.sg

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

We need to talk about feminism in Singapore GRAPHIC: NUR SORFINA

be very harmful as they breed a culture of acceptance towards crudites and normalise sexist mindsets.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Social and Family Development, most females in Singapore fall within the comfortable middle class socioeconomic position with some level of financial independence. However, there are some who are not as lucky.

For women who experience workplace harassment, underage pregnancies and sexual assault, there is only one non-profit organisation (NGO) that can help them — the Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE).

AWARE is also the only NGO that caters to women who face issues regarding employment and labour rights, and sexual and reproductive health.

As females, we should extend a hand to other women who might need our help. A simple act of service, such as referring those who need personalised help to NGOs, can make a difference.

For those who are financially stable, making small donations to AWARE can also help them provide more services to empower women.

Asian culture and taboo topics NICOLE LIM SUB-EDITOR IF FEMINISM is defined as a social movement aimed at achieving gender equality in the political, economic, and social spheres, then it has been a progressive couple of years for women in Singapore.

In early February, a parliamentary session focused on discussing the repeal of immunity on marital rape was held. The Committee proposed to provide all women, single and married, more protection from sexual abuse.

The government has since accepted the recommendation, and it is now a crime for husbands to force themselves on their wives.

In March, the Singapore government announced plans to offer free vaccination against cervical cancer to all secondary 1 girls in national schools. This is on top of the existing subsidies that are already in place for girls aged nine to 26 taking the human papillomavirus jab.

In that same month, an article

by ValueChampion, a website for financial information, noted that Singapore is the least dangerous country in Asia for women to live in. These revisions to our law and access to quality healthcare reflect the state of “utopia” women in Singapore enjoy, as compared to our less privileged female counter-

parts around the world. But while there has been a lot to celebrate, more needs to be done to examine other pillars of society where lapses in gender equality still persist.

Sexism still exists Instances of microsexism still exist in the social and cultural spaces that we navigate every day, many of which fester online. The forum “Eat Drink Man Woman” on internet platform HardwareZone is a prime example. One is likely to find more comments from men than women on the site, who participate in threads discussing the physical appearance of a woman.

A simple search with the keywords “GPGT (Got Picture Got Talk)” on the forum will reveal a typical thread: a full body picture of a bikini-clad girl, and hundreds of lewd comments that follow.

In the comments, men either express their uncontrollable desire to have sex with the girl, or insinuate that she had plastic surgery and is hideous as a result.

Perhaps the reason why such behaviour continues to exist can be attributed to a lack of policing on such forums, which allows individuals to get away with posting offensive comments easily.

More often than not, comments on these platforms are words of objectification. These words can

The Asian stereotype of a conservative culture is still very applicable to Singapore as a nation.

Anything deemed “immoral”, such as sex before marriage, may not be openly discussed. This culture can be concerning when it infringes on the health and rights of individuals.

Older parents might still feel that sexual health topics are taboo and avoid discussions with their children.

The lack of conversation about topics such as menstruation and its effects can have serious consequences when young women are not informed about what could be good or bad for them.

We need to have more open and honest conversations about femininity and sexual health. I grew up with parents who were very open minded — they felt that it was important to educate me on such issues from an early age.

Later, as I work and interact in largely female-dominated environments, femininity and sexual health are topics that I feel comfortable speaking freely about with friends and co-workers without the fear of backlash or judgment.

As our nation continues down the path of democracy, it is hoped that our society can have more frank conversations about wage gaps or gender representation. But in the meantime, we should not shy away from gender-related topics that matter.

VOL. NO.

25

OPINION

THE NANYANG

09 CHRONICLE

7

Art should be celebrated, not banned

GRAPHIC: NAMITA KUMAR

EDWIN CHAN LIFESTYLE EDITOR ON 7 Mar, Swedish metal band Watain was banned by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) from performing in Singapore, just hours before their scheduled show. The cancellation sparked anger online, with many netizens questioning if the government was prejudiced against heavy metal music.

Just weeks before, several forum letters had been submitted to The Straits Times questioning why the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) had allowed the concert to proceed in the first place, given the violent and religiously offensive content of the band’s music.

Subsequently, the statutory board published a statement saying that it consulted with the MHA prior to the concert and a decision was made to allow the concert to proceed, under the condition that it had a rating of Restricted 18.

But on the day of the concert, the IMDA decided to cancel the concert, citing reasons such as the “band's history of denigrating religions and promoting violence, which has potential to cause enmity and disrupt Singapore's social harmony”.

The decision to implement this ban can have repercussions on several levels. On a societal level,

it could result in strains in our social fabric, especially among groups with differing beliefs and faiths.

Some people might feel like there is preferential treatment for particular groups, such as those that have more conservative values.

In the long term, resorting to the frequent banning of materials can cause a decline in Singapore’s art culture.

Minority voices in secular Singapore The last minute ban sparked intense conversations online about censorship versus a complete ban of the concert.

Many netizens speculated that an online petition started by a “Rachel Chan” a day prior to the concert prompted the MHA to consider their decision to ban the show; the petition gathered more than 16,000 signatures. Chan said that she started the petition as she believes that Watain songs are satanic and do not honour Jesus Christ.

But the irony is that the attempt to prevent people from consuming controversial content only resulted in more people knowing about it.

What was once a small-scale concert for 150 people to be held at a

corner of an industrial estate at Paya Lebar has become the talk of the town. The band’s Spotify page now shows that it has over 4,000 monthly listeners in Singapore, the highest number from any country.

Resorting to frequent banning of materials can cause a decline in Singapore's art culture.

The move to ban Watain’s performance over the lyrics of their songs could potentially lead to societal strains.

For a vocal minority to air their displeasure towards Watain due to religious reasons and eventually succeeding in banning the concert challenges the notion that Singapore is a secular nation.

Others who share a different faith might feel that a particular group’s views are more valued

than theirs and this misunderstanding could lead to resentment.

People who want to promote their religious beliefs may push for a ban in other genres of music or art. As a result, we might no longer be allowed to enjoy art forms such as comics by Joan Cornella, which usually consists of dark humour and phallic symbols, and lighthearted racial jokes by popular stand-up comedian Russell Peters.

These unconventional art forms are important to our society as they bring about several benefits.

In an article published in The Straits Times in March 2017, Nominated Member of Parliament Kok Heng Leun said that these types of content “represent adventure, exploration” and “offer new ways of seeing”. He also believes that unconventional art “brings new knowledge, understanding and change”. If we continue this trend of a minority group wanting to ban art, we could lose the liberty to consume such materials.

Furthermore, a strict control of art could lead to a decline in our local arts scene. In line with Singapore’s attempts to strengthen the arts scene in recent years, there is a need for us to celebrate art instead and allow people to exercise their own judgement.

Growing the arts scene encourages creativity and allows people to explore their passions.

Some of the values and skills attained from the arts cannot be taught formally in classrooms.

Also, a strong and flourishing arts scene can in turn create stable jobs for artists. To facilitate this growth, we can start by allowing the consumption of various art forms with little restriction.

Enjoying art purely for its content While some music or art form may contain controversial or darker themes, I believe one can still enjoy the product without being influenced by the content of the art or the beliefs of the artists. These themes need not necessarily reflect a lack of values or ethics in their creators.

Famous rock band Guns N’ Roses wrote Mr Brownstone, a song alluding to their heavy use of the heroin drug. On top of that, most members of the band were former drug and alcohol abusers, and have written many songs about their lifestyle.

Yet, the band is known to be charitable, contributing a portion of their proceeds from their Hawaii show in 2018 to benefit the Andy Irons Foundation, an organisation that plans programmes to help youths with mental illness, substance abuse, and learning disabilities.

Similarly, when Gal Gadot landed the movie role of Wonder Woman, it did not sit well with some Palestinians due to her former career in the Israel Defense Forces.

They found the presentation of

Gadot as a heroine ironic, as she was part of a force responsible for the deaths of many of their own in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

However, I strongly believe that one should be able to enjoy the movie without having to subscribe to her set of personal beliefs. It is the responsibility of every individual to discern between the content of a craft and the artist’s belief system. To say that one would pick up the behaviour of the artist through their art might be rather far-fetched.

It is worrying if we continue to place the power in the hands of the vocal minority to influence the arts based on their own perception of the content. More often than not, the lyrics and themes of songs are not literal. The misunderstanding of any art by the vocal minority is unfair to those who can appreciate the nuances in them.

Ms Linda Ong, a member of home-grown metal band Lunarin, shared with The Straits Times in an article published on 10 Mar that “art is never to be taken at face value and there is so much subtext and nuance when one studies and appreciates it”.

In the same article by The Straits Times, Mr Ross Knudson, the coowner of show promoter LAMC Productions, said that the ban will affect the music market because niche and underground gigs cater to fans who like acts that are less mainstream.

Fans who appreciate the nuances and artistic expressions of such music will now have less opportunity to enjoy these performances in Singapore.

To ban or not to ban There is a grey area in drawing the line when it comes to banning art.

Despite the organisers and Watain promising to have "no denigrating of any faith" nor any promotion of "cult practices" at the show, these promises did not seem to have been considered by the MHA as it went ahead with the ban. The move to ban Watain could open the floodgates to many more of such similar decisions.

An example of how censorship would be more apt compared to a ban would be the case of Miss Universe 2018.

In the Singapore re-telecast of the programme, a particular statement

by Miss Philippines Catriona Gray supporting the moderate use of marijuana was censored. Even though our nation takes a strict stance on drugs, viewers were not denied of watching the entire beauty pageant just because of one statement.

Censorship can sometimes be necessary to prevent people, especially impressionable youths, from picking up bad habits or behaviour.

However, viewers should ultimately be the ones to decide what content is suitable for themselves based on the recommended IMDA ratings. An excessive control over art through bans could result in a decline of our arts scene and culture.

《我们》最大的敌人，最终是自己

— 刊12页

新闻

伸向客工的友谊之手 谢坤良/卓思恬 ● 报道

越

来越多南大生开始关注客 工在新加坡生活的状况。 他们有的积极参与客工权益组 织的义工活动；有的主动发起 活动，促进本地青年与客工群 体之间的了解；有的则通过摄 影作品展示客工群体，让公众 一窥他们的日常生活。 《南苑》访问了四位各自以 不同方式为客工福利发声与做 出贡献的南大学生，了解他们 领导的各自活动，及他们为何 心系客工群体。

用一顿饭的时间 聆听客工 的故事 回想起自己在2009年与父母 搬迁到新加坡时，曾挣扎于适 应本地环境的历程，来自缅甸 的数理科学院二年级生林明途 （20岁）深深的意识到帮助弱 势群体融入本地社会的必要。 今年三月，在奥奇百货公司 - 郑治平教育基金的资助下，他 发起名为 Lepak Lah! 的学生义工 活动，每两到三周为南大学生 和在云南花园一带建筑工地中 工作的客工举办午餐聚会，让 参与者透过面对面交谈，分享 彼此的生活点滴。 林明途坦言，客工的福利一 直是自己非常关注的课题，也 一直想帮助他们，但迟迟没有 行动。 直到他发现南大社会福利与 志愿服务社目前并没有针对客 工的计划，他才因此决定率先 发起此活动。 “身为一名外籍学生，在很 多层面上我都能体会客工在异 国他乡生活所遇到的困难。基 于生活背景、语言与日常习惯 上的不同，他们往往遭受偏见 及不同等待遇，我们必须改这 现象。” Lepak Lah! 于3月18日在云 南花园建筑工地举行首个午餐 聚会，参与的义工及客工各七

南大学生在Lepak Lah! 义工活动中，购买了不同本地美食，与在云南花园建筑工地工作的客工吃一顿饭，并分享生活点滴。 图片：林明途 名，印度与孟加拉籍客工占多 数。 当天学生义工为客工们购买 不同的本地美食，包括了海南 鸡饭、酿豆腐、叻沙等。 有趣的是，他们在交谈中发 现，虽然印度与孟加拉籍客工 普遍喜爱辛辣的食物，但他们 却不怎么喜欢叻沙，对它可是 无动于衷。 他们后来发现，印度与孟加 拉人对辛辣食物非常讲究，本 地叻沙汤汁对他们而言不够浓 稠，辣度也不足。 谈到为何选择以午餐聚会的 形式促进学生与客工之间的了 解，林明途说：“我们常说民 以食为天，美食的确可以把来 自不同文化背景的人凝聚在一 起，通过分享美食打破彼此之 间的生疏与误解。” 第一阶段的活动预计将持续 至今年11月，目前仍在招募学 生义工。

林明途说，有许多学生义工 在参与第一次的午餐聚会后都 表示，他们现在更愿意与客工 们攀谈，也学会如何以同理心 去了解他们。 “我们所做的是提高意识， 通过与客工近距离的接触，透 过诉说真人真事，让更多人看 到客工群体不一样的一面，也 逐渐领会到彼此之间的许多相 同之处。”

拍下瞬间美好 一窥客工日 常 2013年震撼全国的小印度骚乱 事件，激发了郑清和（23岁） 重新关注本地客工的生活状态 和问题。 这名黄金辉传播与信息学院 一年级学生在过去的5年里， 闲暇的时候会带着相机探访各 建筑工地以及客工常出没的地 点，抓拍客工们自然、直接和 真实的面貌，希望通过作品展

来自缅甸的数理科学院二年级生林明途（左二）说，身为一名外籍 学生，他能够体会客工在异国生活的困难。 图片：林明途

VOL. NO.

25

11

THE NANYANG

09 CHRONICLE

新闻 In summary

黄金辉传播与信息学院郑清和通过摄影项目，捕捉了客工日常生活的景象，让公众透过新视角了解客工群体。图为郑清和去年在小印度 一带拍摄的照片。 图片：郑清和 示他们不为人知的故事。 郑清和认为客工福利方面的 问题不容忽视。 “现在有许多客工长时间在 压抑的环境中生活，即使遇到 了问题也不敢出声，深怕误会 冲突。通过作品的分享，我希 望能开展反思，让大家重新探 讨客工福利的课题。我们不应 该因为一次不愉快的事件改变 我们对客工的印象。” 郑清和从13岁开始摄影，喜 欢凭着直觉捕捉街边风景，也 更喜欢通过摄影诉说照片中人 物的故事。 他说，由于离家非常近，他 常到小印度进行拍摄。起初他 会选择退到角落，以不扰人的 状态下捕捉客工在工地里或是 街边的自然样貌。 但近几年来，他改变了方 式，主动向客工搭话，再问是 否能为他们拍照。 问及拍摄客工有何吸引之处 时，他说：“一开始觉得客工 们在建筑工地里所穿上的安全 背心非常耀眼，工地背景也极 为壮观，因此想尝试捕捉这一 幕。之后，我发现一般国人平 日很少有机会接触客工，他们 其实很友善也很健谈，若与你 合得来，很快就熟了。“ 郑清和以客工为主的摄影 项目《揭开小印度》，目前已 累计了数百张照片，经过精选 后，将陆续分享在社交媒体平 台上。

他的一些作品日前也被刊登 在本地社会企业Migrant X Me的 社交媒体Instagram页面上。 “从照片上看来，我只是展 示了他们真实的生活，但在给 客工们过目照片时，这或许也 改变了他们的心情或提升了他 们的自信。这将为我带来更大 的满足感，让我知道摄影的确 有它非常正面的影响所在。”

家乐说，活动让他不再担心该 如何与客工沟通。 黄同学说：“我本来担心他 们的性格不会那么开朗，但是 后来发现他们都很愿意交谈， 有的甚至愿意和我分享他们的 家庭照......他们其实很友善， 他们来新加坡也只是为了生 活。有的客工也学习英文方便 沟通。” 当天播映的电影是“当幸福

来敲门”（The Pursuit of Happiness），讲述一名失业的父亲如 何克服困难，为了家庭继续打 拼一番事业。 黄家乐认为，这部电影的意 义是在于是想让客工们知道， 在新加坡有无限能实现梦想的 可能，借此鼓励他们。 问及为什么会选择客工作为 对象，许凯菊说：“我们想要 从身边能接触到的人开始，南

MORE NTU students are offering support and extending their friendship to migrant workers in Singapore.

On campus, second-year student from the School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences Lim Min Htoo initiated “Lepak Lah!”, a series of lunches between students and construction workers at the NTU Yunnan Garden construction site.

Meanwhile, a passionate photographer and first-year student from the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, Shintaro Tay, spent the last five years documenting the daily lives of migrant workers in Singapore and sharing their stories.

Bridging the language gap between locals and migrant workers, final-year student from the School of Social Sciences Jewelle Koh and her friends organised a film screening session for migrant workers, where Bengali subtitles were included in an English film for all to enjoy.

The students share with the Nanyang Chronicle the motivation behind their projects, the impact they have made and how these experiences have shaped their perception and understanding of migrant workers.

大里就有很多在建筑业服务的 客工。我们希望通过改变学生 对客工的偏见，能塑造一个更 友善的社会。这也是南大学生 每天都能做到的事。”

一部电影 一次与客工的交 心对话 语言是联系感情的桥梁之一， 而国人与客工之间常有语言上 的差异，或许导致群体间的隔 阂。 为了解决这问题，社会科学 学院四年级生许凯菊（23岁） 与五名南大同学与客工福利组 织 SDI Academy 和非政府组织 Sama Sama 合作，在英语好莱坞 电影上附上孟加拉语字幕，让 不明白英语的客工也能够和南 大生在同一个时空下观赏电影。 当天，共有约15名南大生志 愿者与超过30名来自孟加拉的 客工在南大观赏电影，用餐以 及进行交流。 社会科学学院一年级生黄 家乐（22岁）是志愿者之一。 他通过活动了解到客工们在新 加坡社会所面临的困境，例如 国人对客工普遍持有的刻板印 象，认为他们的英语不好难以 沟通，导致很多客工被孤立。 在这项活动中担任组长的黄

南大学生邀请客工到学校观赏附上孟加拉语字幕的英语好莱坞电影， 让不明白英语的客工也能够和南 大生在同一个时空下观赏电影。 图片：许凯菊

VOL. NO.

25

12

THE NANYANG

09 CHRONICLE

言论

社交媒体上，报喜也报忧 我

们在社交媒体上习惯看 到生活化，轻松有趣的帖 子。笔者却在去年参与了一个 较特别的社交媒体工作坊，其 主题围绕着我们不喜欢在社交 媒体上看到的帖子类型。 其中一个人提出了在Instagram 上的这类帖文：背景是大大的 黑屏、但上面写了字体超小而 且字体色差超接近背景颜色的 文字说明，内容一般都是呻吟 或一些不太正面的想法。 这种帖文引人思考，生活里 的不如意究竟是否适合在社交 媒体上分享？ 在笔者看来，社交媒体是我 们畅所欲言的平台，但前提是 我们须确保正在向能够真正了 解我们心态的受众分享信息。 我们在社交媒体上的交情可 以分成不同类别。对于不熟悉 的人，一般来说我们不会多管 他们的动态。但若是一位非常 友好的挚友，就不会这样就把 他的更新弃之不理。 在 I ns t a g ra m 还 没 推 出 密 友 (Close Friends)的功能前，好多用 户都会有双账号，可分成公开 让大家追踪的真账号 (Real Instagram，简称Rinsta)以及假账号 (Fake Instagram，简称Finsta)。 真账号是交际生活里的名 片，账号要包装得好，每个动 态都像一场新闻发布会，将自

的追踪者们在看了我们的更新 后会被影响吗？如果不会，那 么我们自然就可以自由分享。 工作坊的老师继续说，如果 知道会有留意我们的帖子的人 深受帖子里的情绪所影响，而 且没有成熟的心智来消化这份 情绪的话，我们就不应该用我 们的情绪来绊倒别人。

在社交媒体上坦然做自己

插图：Nur Sorfina 己光鲜亮丽的那面公告天下。 假账号，正是只允许自己 最亲密的几个好友追踪的，让 我们揭示一个没那么完美的自 己。生活不可能一帆风顺，然 而多分享又怕给交情不深的朋 友操心。 孔子有句话：“不得其人而 言，谓之失言”。白话来说， 你掏心掏肺的分享，对他人来 说可能嗤之以鼻，看起来真诚 的沟通，只不过是踏入交浅言 深的误区而已。 面对人际网络里的每段关 系，我们仿佛都有一把尺，好 叫我们要衡量并拿捏好自己在 每段关系里和不同人的尺度和

分寸。 成长成为成熟和体贴的人， 清楚每段人际关系的深浅，如 果分享了不在这段关系里的分 寸的东西，真的难免会为交浅 言深的地雷。 当时候工作坊的老师分享了 一个让我们说出我们不如意的 事的处理方式。 导师问，我们能够对自己分 享的心情负责任吗？这代表我 们能够达到不轻易被陷入自己 的情感漩涡去的心态，能够接 受好的事情终将结束，同时清 楚了解难挺过的一关只是人生 里暂时的一个阶段。 如果可以，那关注我们动态

我们都渴望找人倾诉，也希 望有人理解我们的内心处境。 根 据 社 会 参 透 理 论 （ Social Penetration Theory），在朋友圈 里说出自己不如意的事是自我 暴露的其中一种形式，也是信 任建立的标志。当他人在这么 做时，如果我们也作出同样自 我暴露的水平来反应，那么这 也代表接受这份信任的象征。 脆弱是一个人非常珍贵的一 面，而且在特定情况之下脆弱 也可看作成一件美好的事情。 当我们展露出自己的脆弱无助 时，孤独和无力感驱使人们连 接在一起，聚集起彼此宽慰， 相互扶持的力量。 美国作家马德琳·恩格尔 (Madeleine L'Engle) 有一句名 言——长大就是一个接纳脆弱 的过程。活着本身就是一种脆 弱。我们看见别人的软弱，出 于人的本性，往往都可以与自

己过去软弱的时刻连接起来。 这也就是社交媒体发挥功效 的时候。社交媒体原本就是打 着拉近距离而成立的，相比于 做个诸多隐藏的人，我相信它 的本质肯定是鼓励更多人能够 坦然做自己。 毕竟，一个从不自我暴露的 人是不可能与他人建立密切和 有意义的人际关系的。 (文/黄迪勤）

In summary UPBEAT, positive and even glamorous content make up most of our social media posts.

However, most of us tend not to share our negative experiences on social media, especially to a wider social circle that we are not close to.

This writer believes that there is space for us to post more of our unpleasant moments online, but this has to be done responsibly. As long as the people we are sharing our thoughts with have the emotional maturity to understand our experiences, we can and should freely be ourselves online. Displaying our most vulnerable selves can also draw us closer to other people on social media.

娱乐

《我们》最大的敌人，是我们自己

图片：IMDb

小

心！一个穿着红衣服、拿 着金剪刀的人正在找你。 他行为怪异，动作扭曲，表情 僵硬，像个疯子。他长着和你

一模一样的脸。他会杀了你…… 乔丹·皮尔（Jordan Peele）自 编自导的第二部惊悚长片《我 们》（Us）正在电影院热映，并 获得众多好评。电影中惊悚诡异 的氛围营造的恰到好处，全程吸 引着观众的注意。 电影聚焦女主人公雅德蕾 德·威尔逊（Adelaide Wilson）因 恐怖的童年记忆和严重的创伤， 患上应激障碍（PTSD），讲述了 威尔逊一家四口在海边度假时遭 遇的诡异袭击。 作为一部恐怖惊悚片，《我 们》中并未出现鬼怪或灵异元 素，而是将主人公们置于自身的 对立面，让他们面对和自己长相 相同的怪人的追杀，直白有力的 阐明了我们最大的敌人，就是我 们自己。 影片的恐怖氛围营造的十分 到位，不管是多样性音乐和灯

光的玩转使用，极具气氛的布 景，还是导演对于镜头的娴熟 运用，精妙的剪辑，都证明了 这是一部非常用心的恐怖电影。 同时，皮尔对于剧本的打磨 也十分细心，剧情进展节奏有 序，开头快速进入正题，中间 张弛有度，结尾颇多反转，整 体不乏笑点和恐惧点，从头到 尾揪着观众的心脏，直到电影 结束才能松一口气。 电影里几位主要演员的优秀 演技也是本片的一大看点。由 于片中的反派角色正是主人公 们的阴暗面，几位主演必须一 人分饰两角，并通过肢体语言 和表情来精准的区分两个不同 的人物，不得不说是对演员演 技的一大考验。 凭借《为奴十二年》（12 Years a Slave）获得奥斯卡最佳 女配的露皮塔·尼永奥（Lupita

Nyong’o）更是在片中贡献了令

人赞叹的表演。她在细微的表 情处理和眼神的细节上下足了 功夫，完美区分了两个截然相 反的人物。作为雅德莱德，她 是勇敢的保护家人的母亲，而 扮演阴暗面的自己（Red）时， 她的表演让人感到毛骨悚然。 值得一提的是，皮尔自编自 导的第一部惊悚长片《逃出绝 命镇》（Get Out）曾是2017年惊 悚恐怖片中的一匹黑马，共得 到四项奥斯卡提名，并获得最 佳原创剧本奖。 相比之下，《我们》的剧情 虽然需要观众更费心琢磨，并 可以有多种不同解读方式，但 比之《逃出绝命镇》更是在各 个方面都有不少进步，不禁让 人更加期待这位年轻导演接下 来还会给观众带来怎样的惊喜 和“惊吓”。 (文/郑雯婕）

In summary YOUR FIRST enemy is, and always will be, yourself.

The movie Us depicts four strangers who appear at the house of Adelaide Wilson and her family. Each of them is a doppelgänger of a family member, and they are intent on killing off this suburban household to take over their identities.

Detailing the family’s escape plan, young writer-director Jordan Peele uses captivating cinematography, music, light and props to create a tense and horrifying atmosphere, successfully holding the audience in suspense. The brilliant performance of the cast also keeps audiences at the edge of their seats.

VOL. NO.

25

GRAPHICS 13

THE NANYANG

09 CHRONICLE

Brain-boosting bites With the semester drawing to a close and examinations fast approaching, graphic artists Namita Kumar and Nur Sorfina highlight five health foods to prepare you for the academic battle ahead

Broccoli is rich in essential nutrients such as vitamin C, vitamin K and iron. These vitamins and minerals strengthen bones, improve eyesight and boost cognitive functions.

Interesting fact: A research study conducted by Zhejiang University of Science and Technology in 2018 proved that the best way to increase the nutritional power of broccoli is by dicing it into small pieces, letting it sit for 90 minutes before lightly stir-frying it. This helps to increase the sulforaphane levels found in the broccoli.

Berry fruits like blueberries, blackberries and strawberries help to prevent cognitive decline and contain high amount of antioxidants that help to lower the risk of infections.

Interesting fact: Anthocyanins are the pigments that give strawberries, blackberries and blueberries their red, purple and blue hues respectively. Anthocyanins are rich in antioxidants and may offer anticancer benefits.

Where in NTU? Consider adding berries to your next fruit juice order.

Almonds are packed with fiber, magnesium and vitamin E –nutrients that are beneficial in supporting brain health and skin nourishment. In addition, almonds are a convenient and hassle-free snack to munch on while you study.

Interesting fact: Almonds help to control blood pressure and support the strength of your teeth and bones.

Where in NTU? Prime supermarket, Giant and some vending machines.

Green tea contains caffeine and antioxidants that serve to protect the body against diseases.

Interesting fact: After boiling the water, let it cool before pouring it over the green tea leaves.

Allow the tea to steep for two to three minutes before consumption. This ensures that as many of the plant compounds in the tea leaves, which contain large amounts of important nutrients, make it to the final drink.

Where in NTU? Prime supermarket and Giant.

Fish that is high in healthy fats such as salmon, mackerel, herring and sardines help to increase blood flow to the brain, which improves working memory.

Interesting fact: According to the American Heart Association, fatty fish is rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which have been shown to reduce inflammation and potentially lower the risk of heart disease, cancer, and arthritis.

Where in NTU? Saba fish, raw salmon salad and sliced fish soup are some examples of meals with fatty fish that you can find in the canteens across campus.

Where in NTU? Any Yong Tau Fu, mixed rice or Western stalls.

References: bit.ly/chroniclebrainfood bit.ly/chroniclebrainboosts bit.ly/chroniclebrainbites

Sports

Former NTU student breaks barriers in local football league While most coaches of football clubs have an average age of 50, Gavin Lee is bucking the trend as he leads one of Singapore’s top professional football club as just 28 DEEPANRAJ GANESAN OUT on the pitch, Singapore Premier League (SPL) side Tampines Rovers Football Club is home to several luminaries of local football such as Daniel Bennett, 41, and Khairul Amri, 34, who together, boast more than 250 appearances for the Singapore national team.

But it is an untested 28-yearold NTU Sports Science and Management graduate that prowls the touchline and runs rule over them and the club’s footballing matters.

Gavin Lee, who graduated from NTU in 2015, has been leading the team as coach since the start of the current season. He works alongside another former Singapore national team player, Mustafic Fahrudin, who is his deputy.

What makes matters more remarkable, is that Mr Lee has yet to attain the required certification to be a head coach in the SPL. It is mandatory for Singaporeans to hold the Asian Football Confederation ‘A’ License to take charge of SPL clubs. The month-long ‘A’ License course, held later this year, requires a coach to have already completed his ‘B’ license and have fulfilled at least 80 hours of coaching at any level.

Nevertheless, Mr Lee, who will attempt to earn the ‘A’ License this year, is the main man at the helm as he conducts training sessions and has the final say in team tactics and preparations.

He was given the job because of the ability he showed when he was the club’s assistant coach alongside head coach Juergen Raab last year, impressing staff and players with his knowledge of the game.

Mr Lee’s tactical prowess and reputation were also enhanced when he was Warriors Football Club’s assistant coach in their title winning season in 2014.

In fact , despite his lack of experience playing and coaching at an elite level – he has only played for NTU and the national under-14 team, and he was a youth coach at a local soccer academy – Mr Lee

has guided the Stags to an unbeaten start to the season, achieving five wins and two draws in seven games.

“He is refreshing for the club because he is young and ambitious and the players have already started to like the style of play that he has introduced,” said Mustafic Fahrudin, 37, former Singapore captain and current assistant coach at Tampines.

“You can already see the players are enjoying themselves and that is a good sign. I would have loved to play under him.”

A dream come true

For Mr Lee, being coach has been the fulfilment of a dream, one that he admits not many would have.

In school, while football fans his age dream of taking to the pitch and scoring goals one day, he would daydream about coaching.

“You can already see the players are enjoying themselves and that is a good sign. I would have loved to play under him (Mr Lee).”

Tampines Rovers marks Mr Lee’s first role as head coach, after previously serving as assistant coach of the team for one season.

Unfazed by age difference

In the current Tampines squad, six players are older than Mr Lee, but he does not see this as a challenge.

To him, communication is crucial in bridging the age gap, and believes that age will not be an issue if he communicates effectively.

Mr Lee said: “How each of us see the sport is like us seeing the moon from a different side of the world.

It is the same object, but we may have different thoughts.

“Different perspectives spark more thinking and it helps to open up our minds. As long as the team can work together well and have fun, I would feel that I am doing my job well.”

Mr Lee taking on the Tampines role at such a young age is reflective of the trend in world football as well.

Mr Julian Nagelsmann, now 31, was 28 when he was appointed head coach of 1899 Hoffenheim, a club plying their trade in the Ger-

man league, while English Premier League side AFC Bournemouth appointed Mr Eddie Howe as manager when he was just 29.

Both managers are now two of the most sought after tacticians in the world.

Mr Lee aspires to reach the higher echelons of world football like Mr Nagelsmann and Mr Howe one day, but for now he is focused on a serious task, to steer the Stags – as the Rovers are known to their fans – to their first league title since 2013.

Mr Lee’s first big break came ar JSSL, one of Singapore’s largest private football academies.

Initially in charge of teenagers in various age group teams, he rose to become the academy’s general manager at a young age of 25.

“Each year that I was in JSSL, I was getting better and better (at coaching). I could see that the players were responding to my sessions and essentially becoming better players,” said Mr Lee. “Those were the indicators, not the number of wins. At the youth level, seeing the growth of your players is definitely more important than the wins you chalk up.”

Humble beginnings

When he was at JSSL, Mr Lee emailed Warriors FC coach Alex Weaver in 2014 seeking a role at the club to gain more experience.

This would kick start his coaching career at the professional level.

Subsequently, Mr Weaver invited Mr Lee to his coaching sessions and Mr Lee impressed the Englishman enough to earn a spot as his assistant.

The pair would go on to win the 2014 S-League title, now known as the Singapore Premier League),with the Warriors.

Mr Weaver, currently an Under-21 coach with Swiss second division side FC Lausanne-Sport, lauded Mr Lee for his work ethic and preparedness – values that were hard to find in coaches in the S.League back then.

Said Mr Weaver: “You had coaches coming in an hour before training and being unprepared.

“But Gavin was completely different. He was sharp, hardworking and from the moment he came in, I could see he had a very good knowledge of football and a really good understanding of the game.”

Mustafic Fahrudin, 37 Assistant Coach Tampines Rovers Football Club

Mr Lee said: “While I was in the national Under-14s, I had the current national team captain, Hariss (Harun) as a teammate. And he was really, really good.

“I knew I was never going to be as good as he was. I just thought perhaps I was not going to quite make it as a player if I continued.”

Mr Lee’s first foray into coaching came at the age of 16, when he decided to assist his father during a football training camp at Broadrick Secondary School.

The elder Lee now coaches Victoria Junior College’s girls’ team and Victoria School’s boys team, and was previously in charge of Tampines’ U-12 side.

The Tampines Rovers side has started the season well under the guidance of coach Gavin Lee (in grey) as they remain unbeaten this seasaon.

Mr Gavin Lee is younger than six of his players, but that has not stopped him from commanding the respect of the Tampines squad while the strong start to the season has also helped.

“He was sharp, hardworking and from the moment he came in, I could see he had a very good knowledge of football and a really good understanding of the game.

Alex Weaver, 42, Under-21 coach FC Lausanne-Sport (Switzerland)

Mr Weaver also attributed Warriors’ success in 2014 to Mr Lee’s work with the team.

“He played a very big part in what we achieved in 2014. He wanted to improve himself and I am not surprised at the progress he has made,” said Mr Weaver.

After Mr Weaver left Warriors in 2015, Mr Lee followed suit and took on a role as an assistant coach

with Tampines in 2018.

Stepping up

Now, he is the main man. Mr Lee credited his growth as a coach to his alma mater, NTU. After completing two years of national service, Mr Lee decided to take up a degree in sports science at NTU as he felt it would help with his coaching.

“At NTU, we covered a broad spectrum of things and it allowed me to have an insight into things like nutrition, data analysis and recovery. It definitely helped with my coaching.

“When I was coaching younger kids, I could speak to parents about things like growth spurts,” he said.

Coaching aside, proper nutrition, optimal rest hours and the analysis of opponents before a match are some additional things that Mr Lee can help players with.

He draws inspiration from renowned international coaches such as the likes of Mr Howe, Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho.

Having enjoyed a stellar start to the season, Mr Lee is careful not to become complacent, a value he has admitted to driving into his players’ heads lately.

PHOTOS: JOEL CHAN

“At NTU, we covered a broad spectrum of things and it allowed me to have an inisght into subjects like nutrition, data analysis and recovery. It definitely helped with my coaching.

Gavin Lee, 28, Head Coach Tampines Rovers Football Club

“I have been given the keys to the car and people would think that I have to ensure that we get to the destination,” he said.

“But the destination is not a specific target because I believe that it will set a limitation. We need to enjoy the process and see what comes out of it. We must enjoy the ride.”

Coach Gavin Lee has been a Tampines Rovers fan since he was an 8-year-old boy and used to go all over Singapore to watch them in action.

NTU-PKU DOUBLE MASTERS PROGRAMME (English and Chinese)

The Double Masters Programme offered by Nanyang Technological University and Peking University aims to train bilingual professionals with solid foundation in financial knowledge and international exposure for the global finance industry.

Nanyang Business School offers the Master of Science in Finance Programme which will be conducted in English and Chinese. School of Economics, Peking University offers four professional Master Programmes in Finance, Insurance, Tax and International Business which will be conducted in Chinese.

MSc (Finance) Programme Nanyang Business School Nanyang Technological University S3-B3A, 50 Nanyang Avenue Singapore 639798

Tel: Website Email: WeChat:

(65) 6592 3247 / 6790 5696 www.mscf.ntu.edu.sg mscfinance@ntu.edu.sg NTU_MScFINANCE