The Nanyang Chronicle Vol 20 Issue 02

THE NANYANG

CHRONICLE

VOL. NO.

20

02 02.09.13 ISSN NO. 0218-7310

TRIAL ON ICE

A spin with the Singapore Ice Hockey Women’s Team

SPORTS | 31

Ghost bus stops and long wait times

ROUTES DISAPPOINT

Reigning the Getai since sixteen

青春少女勇闯歌台 南苑 | 23

NEWS | 3

02 NEWS

THE NANYANG

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CHRONICLE 02

The Briefing Room:

Our editors’ pick of interesting news stories around the world.

Twerk it like Miley

Ho Yeow Sun’s former plans to engage Rihanna revealed

She dropped her onesie; they dropped their jaws. Miley Cyrus shocked the world when she stripped down to a skin-coloured latex bikini and gyrated against singer Robin Thicke.

The ex-Disney star took the stage with her radio hit We Can’t Stop before joining Thicke for Blurred Lines.

Many celebrities did not take well to her performance. Nick Cannon tweeted: “Remind me to never let my kids into showbiz…

Thanks”.

Some went to her defence. Justin Timberlake said: “If something like that doesn’t happen at the VMAs, I‘d feel like it was boring.”

Ho Yeow Sun, wife of City Harvest Church founder, Kong Hee, was found to be discussing a US$12 million bill for engaging hip-hop artistes like Rihanna, Will.i.am and Missy Elliot for music collaborations, from an email thread dated in 2008 among Kong, Senior Vice President of Warner Bros, and Ho. Kong, together with other senior church leaders, is on trial for misappropriating S$24 mil of church funds to finance Ho’s singing career.

In addition, over S$26 mil in church funds was allegedly misappropriated to cover up the original diversion.

The trial is still underway.

Middleton’s surprise post-natal weight loss

A whirlwind of words

Barely a month after the birth of her son, Kate Middleton appeared to have lost all the baby weight when she stepped out for the first time in her hometown Anglesey, Wales.

According to the US weekly, Middleton resumed her regular routine of yoga practices soon after giving birth.

THE NANYANG

CHRONICLE on the web

check out the NANYANG chronicle’s REVAMPED website for more exclusive articles and multimedia content.

Get Physical with Ice Hockey

In the second episode of Chronicle Sports video series Getting Physical With, sports writer Jacqueline Lim sweats it out in the freezing cold ice skating rink at JCube to find out how the Singapore Ice Hockey Women’s team trains.

Your Say: Shuttle Bus Routes

You’ve read our stories, now we want to hear from you! #hthtNTU is The Chronicle’s interactive version of the traditional newspaper’s Letter to the Editor page, where you get to air your views on the stories that matter to the school and the community. In this episode, we find out just how much of a boon the change in shuttle bus routes has actually been, and what can be done to improve the service.

So You Want To Be A Radio Star

Radio personalities Divian Nair and Dee Kosh from 987FM’s “The Double Ds” talk about the qualities that make a good radio DJ, and it’s not just about how you sound on air. Who knows — they may have already found their next star on campus.

Find us at

www.nanyangchronicle.ntu.edu.sg

Photos: internet

Omnishambles, selfie, and phablet — these are just some of the words that were recently added to the Oxford Dictionary.

Other words and phrases include “digital detox”, “double denim”, and “food baby”.

“Omnishambles” was awarded “Word of the Year 2012” by the Oxford English Dictionary. It refers to a case of mismanagement.

If you see it as “vomworthy” — which means so unworthy till it makes you sick — this isn’t the end of the list.

Or you might think this story is “TL;DR” — “Too Long; Didn’t Read.”

So even though the list might be long, start learning the new vocabulary especially if you are easily affected by “Fomo”— the fear of missing out.

Fast-food strikes in US for higher minimum wage of $15

Fast-food workers in New York, Chicago, and Detroit went on strike on 29 Aug to call for higher wages.

They requested for US$15 (S$19) per hour, which is almost twice the current federal minimum wage.

The strike comes amid congressional debate over minimum wage increments.

President Barack Obama had intended to raise the minimum wage from US$7.25 to US$9.

Minimum wages were last increased in 2009.

News

Something dangerous is breeding — Page 5

New routes, old issues Students' grouses over packed buses and long waiting time continue unabated, even after the change of bus routes by NTUSU.

ADM agony

Ng Jian Yang Esther Lam Ng Yan Xiang Josephine Tan

N

TU’s new campus shuttle bus system has cut down waiting time. But in exchange, students find themselves walking longer distances between stops, and experiencing longer commuting times.

The Nanyang Chronicle monitored bus frequencies and travelling time during peak and off-peak periods over one week, and found that bus frequency has generally improved.

T h e n e w r ou t e s b y N T U Students’ Union (NTUSU) and the Office of Housing and Auxiliary Services (HAS) were introduced in July to reduce waiting and travelling times.

Campus Loops Red and Blue operate 10 stops each – spanning the North and South Spines, and the hall clusters — in opposite directions.

The Campus Rider and Campus Weekend Rider run from Pioneer MRT station to NTU routes.

NTUSU said the new routes will reduce waiting time by up to two minutes in each direction.

The Chronicle observed that the average waiting times for the Red and Blue lines were about four and five minutes respectively.

This met NTUSU’s projected timings of five to six minutes.

But, a separate survey of almost 500 students by NTUSU found that most students disagreed that waiting or travelling time had improved.

Jonathan Tan, a second-year Biological Science student, said that while the buses arrived on time, they were often congested and he was unable to get on them.

The 23-year-old said: “Campus Loop Blue buses are always packed to the door at the bus stop opposite Halls of Residence 4 and 5 during the morning rush hour.

“The next few buses might be the same. And sometimes I’m forced, after a long and futile wait, to cross the road to take Campus Loop Red, which takes a huge detour to reach my school.”

The Nanyang Chronicle also found that the frequency of buses

Crowds everywhere: Long queues aplenty as students clamour to get to class under the new bus route system.

PHOTO: FELIX CHEW

AS A result of the route changes, the bus stop at the School of Art, Design and Media (ADM) has been removed.

The nearest stops for ADM students now are Hall 2 or Lee Wee Nam Library, both taking a seven-minute to reach, said NTUSU. There are no sheltered walkways to the two bus stops for ADM students.

“On rainy days, Bus A used to be our only hope of getting elsewhere,” said Nadia Priscilla Ongkowidjaja, 20, a second-year ADM student. “Now, we’re trapped.”

Nelson Tan, 23, a thirdyear ADM student added that the new bus routes has made it more inconvenient to go out for lunch.

“I have to walk all the way up the hill to Canteen A just to have lunch, so I usually skip my lunch if I only have an hour's break.”

In the past, he could take the shuttle buses to either Canteens 2 or A.

Hall seven stranded

Infographic: jonathan chan & sheena tan

varied significantly. This is most apparent during off-peak periods.

On one day of surveying from 7-8pm, the first Blue line bus took nine minutes to arrive at the Innovation Centre bus stop. The next day, the bus arrived after a 49-minute wait.

'Timed everything' Prior to its implementation, NTUSU tested the new routes.

“We timed ever ything and confirmed that the current plan will increase the frequency of buses and hence improve waiting times,” said outgoing Student Relations Executive of NTUSU Cheryl Lee, 21.

However, she stressed that the

system is new and still had teething problems that need to be ironed out.

She attributed the erratic bus frequency to “poor regulation of the departure times of buses from the bus depot” and “bus drivers still being unfamiliar with the new routes”.

Urging for patience, Lee said that NTUSU has convened a taskforce to review and improve service standards.

“NTUSU is also exploring the possibility of having a temporary shuttle bus service for ADM students,” she added.

Chief HAS Officer Mr Jimmy Lee confirmed that the university is “looking into feedback from ADM students requesting for sheltered

access from the school building to other parts of the campus”.

However, he said that there are currently no plans to bring back the removed bus stops.

“All buildings and facilities on campus can be accessed within a short walk,” said Mr Lee. He encouraged students to adopt an open mindset about the new system.

“It is only natural that some commuters will need time to adjust to these changes.

“We seek everyone’s understanding regarding the relocation of several bus stops,” he added.

For ADM student Nadia, there is one silver lining in the new bus system — a shorter waiting time for

The two Hall 7 bus stops have also been removed.

Residents now have to make a five-minute trek to the School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences or the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information to catch the shuttle.

Muhd Faruq Senin, 22, said: “Apart from having to walk further now, we don’t have any sheltered walkways to the bus stops if it rains.” the Campus Rider.

Even though the queue snakes from the start of the pick-up point to the overhead bridge at Pioneer MRT, the line moves quickly as buses come every five minutes.

“The queue in the morning is much shorter due to the increased frequency of the buses. I hardly have to wait at all now,” she said.

NTU students voice out concerns over new bus routes.

Watch the first episode of #HTHT by scanning the QR Code:

38 SPORTS

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THE NANYANG

02 CHRONICLE

NEA steps up anti-dengue efforts NTU now borders the most dengue-infested area in Singapore, with a 112 reported cases from three nearby clusters Mark Soh

E

fforts to reduce the spread of dengue fever around NTU have not let up.

The Westwood and Jurong West Street 74 neighbourhoods have a total of 112 reported dengue cases so far — making it the most dengue infested area in Singapore.

Westwood, a private housing estate, is the worst hit, with more than 100 reported cases. While in St 74, eight cases were reported.

These two areas are just outside NTU’s Jalan Bahar entrance.

SBS bus service 199, which transports students from Boon Lay interchange to NTU daily, travels through Westwood along Jalan Bahar Road.

Meanwhile, there were two reported cases in Jurong West St 61. The area is close to Pioneer MRT, on the border of ‘Ah Lian Economical Bee Hoon', a popular NTU students.

There is some cold comfort though — the National Environment Agency (NEA) reported no new dengue cases over the past three weeks.

Still, efforts to educate these residents on

preventing dengue in their homes have not stopped.

Even though NTU is not listed as a cluster, the Office of Housing and Auxiliary Services said that they were in full compliance of NEA’s anti-dengue regulations in construction sites around the school.

Currently, checks on these sites are done twice a week by NEA officers who ensure all puddles of stagnant water are cleared.

This is to remove breeding sites for the Aedes mosquitoes, which carries the dengue virus.

Mr Paul Chain, Chief Executive Officer of NTU’s Office of Development and Facilities Management added: “Fogging or fumigating is now done by the town council in and around the construction sites on a daily basis.”

Even as the school raises its guard against dengue, some do not see the need to take precautionary measures.

Chiew Zi Jie, 21, a first-year student from the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, said he didn’t read too much into the problem.

“As a young person, the chances of a full recovery are very high, so I’m not too concerned,” he said.

Timothy Ang, 21, a first-year Nanyang Business School student, remained unaffected even after knowing that Jurong West is the top dengue hotspot.

He said: “What are the chances of me catching dengue? Almost negligible."

INFOGRAPHIC: WARREN TAY

Learning on the go New CCA for

discrimination debate Marcus Lim

Krystal Chia Wong Zioedy APPLE iPads were loaned to all 54 freshmen from the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine at the start of the academic year.

The electronic tablets were meant for students to access learning materials on the go as they shuttle between NTU and the temporary campus at Novena, said Mr Paul Gagnon, Director of E-learning and IT of the school.

Meanwhile, about 700 iPad minis were also loaned to first-years students from the

PHOTO: IVAN LIM

School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences (SPMS) last month.

Associate Professor Chee Yeow Meng, Chair of SPMS said: “The iPad minis are especially useful for learning concepts such as geometry, which require visualisation.”

The SPMS freshmen can hold on to the iPad minis for the whole duration of their undergraduate study.

But that was also why SPMS student like Luo Weiting, 19, felt that the schoolissued devices were too good to be true.

Read the full article at: www.nanyangchronicle.ntu.edu.sg

IN A move towards greater diversity and tolerance, NTU now has a CCA group to promote discussion and raise awareness about discrimination against sexual orientation, race, and class.

Kaleidoscope, a special interest CCA, began recruiting members at this year’s CCA fair from 12 to 14 Aug. The club’s president, Dhanashree Shelgaonkar, 23, said: “We just want to get people talking to better understand these issues”.

More than 160 students have already signed up to be part of the society.

Dhanashree acknowledged that some students had labelled them “the gay club".

Fellow founding member Lim Jialiang, 23, a third-year Sociology student, said he viewed such criticism as opportunities rather than setbacks.

“Anybody with such opinions should come down to the club. We want to build bridges, not fences,” he said.

The club is also supported by a panel of faculty advisors. Hailing from different faculties, the advisors will channel their expertise and work alongside the club members to provide advice, oversee events, and chair panel discussions.

Kaleidoscope will also partner the Student Well-being Centre to provide counselling services for students who may require emotional support.

Funding is another issue that the club is facing. For Kaleidoscope, there are currently no official funds allocated for the running of

the club, said Dhanashree.

“We aim to be self sufficient through our fundraising activities.

“For now though, our activities have only been made possible through the contributions from our members and supporters,” she said.

“Anybody that thinks Kaleidoscope is a "gay club' should come down to the club. We want to build bridges, not fences” Lim Jialiang Founding Member of Kaleidoscope Third-year Sociology student

While the club is still in its infancy, some members are already excited and anticipating what the club has in store for them.

Lin Jin, 24, a third-year student from the School of Bioengineering student, said: “I’m excited to see how Kaleidoscope will bring about more vibrancy and diversity to campus," he said.

To date, the club has attracted more than 270 likes for their Facebook page.

It will also see their first executive committee voted in by its members this week.

See also: "Turning pink", Opinions, p26.

6-7 SHOWCASE

ELECTION

FEVER

Election season is here. Photo Editors Lim Mu Yao and Yeo Kai Wen trail the hustings at each school to uncover the work behind the annual leadership renewal process.

I

t is Thursday, 22 Aug — a week before voting day. The time: 10.30pm.

For the past hour, supporters of 19-year-old Ong Jia Ling have been standing in front of the blank walls of Block S4.

Their goal? To paste as many of Ong’s campaign posters on the walls as they can.

The first-year student from the Nanyang Business School (N BS) is r unning for Social Director of the Accountancy and Business Club.

It is a longstanding tradition to compete for limited poster space.

“Although this shows that we

are very competitive, it is also our way of showing support for our friends,” said 22-year-old Reuben Yap. The first-year NBS student is running for the position of Social Media Director.

Sitting through rallies till 2am, getting grilled by rally attendees, and splurging on fancy posters — these are all in a day’s work for candidates eager to garner votes.

W h i le ma ny w i l l stop at not hing to stand out, some ca nd idates choose a less aggressive approach.

The sole candidate for the Fi na ncia l Cont rol ler i n t he

Communication and Information Club is Tan Yanger, 20.

The second-year student from the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information ( W K WSCI) put up a quirk y i n s t a l l at ion of s u s p e n d e d translucent umbrellas as part of her campaign.

“I saw the campaign as an opportunity to make an impact on the school and its people.

Hence, I decided to do this art installation that will hopefully make people happy,” said Tan. Fie r ce or f r ie nd ly, t he se candidates have one thing in common — the desire to make a difference in their schools.

(CLOCKWISE FROM TOP) AN OPEN SHARING: Former Publications Head, Zhu Kan Kang (right), 22, a final-year student from the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE), shares her experience with hopefuls Wang Zhuoli (centre) and Guo Hao (left), both 20. The two second-year students are running for Zhu’s position in the CEE Club.

A UNITED EFFORT: Supporters of candidates from NBS paste campaign posters outside at Block S4 after an hour-long wait to snag coveted spots for poster space. “This is a tradition to mark the start of campaigning,” said Reuben Yap, 22, who is running for Social Media Director in the Accountancy and Business Club.

FIELDING QUESTIONS: Agustinus Prasetyo, 20, from the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) takes questions from the audience after his rally. The second-year student hopes to be the Welfare Head of the MAE Club.

SHE’S GOT US COVERED: Students from WKWSCI crowd around Tan Yanger, 20, as she shares her aspirations for the Communication and Information Club. As part of her campaign for Financial Controller, Tan put up an art installation of umbrellas with the tagline, “No More Rainy Days With Yang”.

VOTING RIGHT: Adrianus Christopher, 18, places his voting slip in the ballot box as a first-time voter. The first-year student from the School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences said: “Exercising my right to vote is my way of showing that I want the best for my school.”

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Lifestyle #instaprints

SHAPING MEMORIES: Services like Portagram now help Instagram users print, cut and even deliver their photographs.

Thanks to new services by two Singaporean companies, your Instagram photographs can now be taken offline and stuck on your fridge or kept in your wallet.

Ang Hui Xuan finds out more.

Tiny Tiles www.maketinytiles.wordpress.com

J

azz up your fridge doors with your latest #foodporn finds from your Instagram feed — on Tiny Tiles’ magnets.

Modelled after StickyGram — a company from the United Kingdom that creates photo magnets from Instagram shots — Tiny Tiles caters to nonInstagram users as well, by squarecropping their pictures into Instagram’s signature style.

Founder Ms Katheryn Tan, 25, came up with the idea for Tiny Tiles last Christmas when brainstorming for gift ideas.

“Personalised magnets struck me as an amazing idea, but StickyGram did not allow me to access my friend’s Instagram photos for printing, which I thought was really troublesome,” she said.

Ms Tan decided to put her handicraft skills to good use by starting her own business that accepts all pictures, even if they are not uploaded on Instagram.

To make the magnet, the square image is printed on photo paper, which is then sealed onto a ceramic tile. A magnetic button is glued onto the back of the tile, turning it into a fridge magnet.

Completing a set of three tiles takes 15 minutes, and the tiles take a day to dry thoroughly before they can be mailed.

Tiles are priced at $6.50 for three, and $2 per piece for orders exceeding six tiles — a reasonable price for customers such as Ms Eng Ying Tian, 27.

“This is an innovative idea and will make a heart-warming gift,” said Ms Eng. Since its launch last December, Tiny Tiles has seen brisk business, thanks to word-of-mouth recommendations from its customers.

The company's biggest order to date was for 560 tiles that were meant as wedding door gifts.

Not bad for a business that started out as a hobby.

Portagram www.portagram.com SHOOT, filter, upload — and print.

Portagram is the first service in Singapore that turns Instagram photos into highquality prints.

Capitalising on the Instagram craze among trigger-happy Singaporeans, founders Mr Liu Yusho, 26, and Mr Kenji Tay, 25, took things one step further — by letting users print their photos.

Thus, Portagram was founded last November. The company name refers to the porting of Instagram pictures from digital to physical form.

Although Portagram prints are small and handy, the size does not compromise the quality of the pictures.

With Instagram image sizes being a quarter that of regular digital photographs, many users do not know how to print photos of optimal quality.

Portagram does the job effortlessly, saving the time required to get pictures from Instagram to print.

PHOTO: LIM MU YAO

“Essentially, no piece in a roll is the exact same size as we cut every piece by hand,” said Mr Liu, a 26-year-old fresh graduate from NTU’s School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering.

“Customers usually engage us to print photos of their pets, their travels, and people who are close to them as these help to preserve meaningful memories,” he said.

A roll of 12 prints is priced at US$6 (S$7.70). Customers select their desired photos before deciding on their choice of paper — Standard, Classic or Premium.

Standard paper, also known as Vintage, is the bestseller. Made of recycled material, its yellow tint evokes a sense of nostalgia.

“Customers usually engage us to print photos of their pets, their travels and people who are close to them as it helps to preserve meaningful memories,” Mr Liu Yusho, 26 Founder Portagram

Student Brenda Ng, 19, who has more than 12,000 followers on Instagram, is a frequent patron.

“I like Premium paper the most because of its pearly sheen," she said.

Mr Liu said 80 per cent of his customers are female undergraduates.

Intrigued by Portagram’s novelty and relatively cheap prints, many students are keen to try out the service.

But Portagram’s operations have not

been without its hitches.

Ms Peh Yi Wen, 22, bought four rolls of prints last month when Portagram offered a 40 per cent discount in conjunction with local university convocations.

But when she opened the envelope containing the pictures, she realised they were not hers.

“I received someone else’s photos and they told me it was a huge mix-up of orders with more than 30 people involved,” said Ms Peh. While Portagram tried to solve the problem by creating a Facebook group to facilitate the exchange of prints, many customers failed to recover their original prints and had to reorder.

“I ordered photos of me and my boyfriend. Although they aren’t sensitive pictures, I wonder where they are now and what the receiver is doing with them,” said Ms Peh. Despite the inconvenience, Ms Peh complimented Portagram for responding quickly to her complaint and taking the initiative to resend prints to all the customers.

There are fewer than five such businesses that offer Instagram photo-printing services, but Mr Liu expects the number to increase soon as the popularity of photo-editing apps like Instagram show no signs of dying down.

Enjoy a 40% discount on Portagram orders by keying 'NYCxPORT' at checkout.

Offer applies to orders US$15 and below.

Offer expires on 16 Sep 2013, 11.59pm

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foodsnoop

Just Do-ItYourself

Forget the usual run-of-the-mill, standard-looking grub — Lifestyle Editors Bernice Koh and Nicole Tan suss out two DIY eateries that let you unleash your inner Masterchef.

DIO Burger The Grandstand 200 Turf Club Road #01-09 S287994 Opening hours: Mon-Thu: 11.30am–9.30pm Fri-Sun: 11.30am–10.30pm www.facebook.com/DIOBurgerSG Tel: 6468 9308

I

t all started with the question: Pickles or no pickles?

While some delight in finding a pickle or two hidden between the patties, others cringe at the mere sight of them.

Observing this trend, Mr Lim

Slappy Cakes The Grandstand 200 Turf Club Road #01-20/21 S287994 Opening hours: Mon-Fri: 10am-9.30pm Sat & Sun: 8am-9.30pm www.slappycakes.com.sg Tel: 6466 3303

Wei, 32, decided to set up Do-ItOurselves (DIO) Burger, together with co-owners Mr Winston Tan, 47, and Mr Steven Tan, 54.

Mirroring do-it-yourself burger joints like Butcher & the Burger in America, DIO Burger gives diners the freedom to customise their burgers, from the type of bun to the doneness of the patty.

To complete your burger, the garnish bar offers more than 20 garnishes and condiments like salsa jalapeno and spicy cheese, leaving you spoilt for choice.

The Singapore Melts ($22.60) was a masterpiece of wagyu beef patty coated with melted cheese, bacon and lettuce, wedged between sesame-crusted buns and portobello mushrooms.

Biting into the burger, the smoky flavour of the bacon was immediately apparent.

The juices from the meat and portobello mushroom dripped off

STAR-SHAPED, heart-shaped, or even shaped like the adorable minions from the movie Despicable Me — the look of your pancakes at Slappy Cakes is completely up to you.

Customisation is key at the two-month-old make-your-own (MYO) pancake restaurant, where customers be their own chefs.

Armed with the batter, ingredients and toppings of their choice, diners have the freedom to be creative with their pancakes.

Each table comes with a built-

masterchef for a day: The squeeze-tip batter bottle and non-stick griddle make cooking simple and straightforward, even for those who don't usually cook.

HOLY COW: The patty used in The Singapore Melts is made from grade 5 wagyu beef (which has the highest marbling), making the meat tender and juicy.

PHOTOs: VALERIE LIM

the bun.

But the consistency of the bacon resembled jerky — dry and tough.

Still, on the whole, the burger was a winner.

The tender wagyu patty made up for the bacon, and the burger did not fall apart easily.

Although diners do not really get to create their own burgers from scratch, Lim explained the rationale behind offering selected types of burger combinations.

“Initially, we tried to leave the decision of what customers wanted

in their burger entirely to them.

“But we realised most of them didn't know how to create their own burger, which ended up in a mess,” said Lim. Even after DIO Burger altered its menu for the third time to include fixed combinations, some customers still had difficulties choosing the type of garnish.

“Customers usually don’t know what kind of garnish goes well with which burger,” said Mr Jack Ang, 22, assistant manager at DIO Burger.

As a result, most diners end up

treating the free-flow garnish bar as a salad bar.

Mr William Wong, 50, a customer at the restaurant, said: “It’s difficult to dismantle the burger and put in the condiments because then the burger becomes too big to fit into my mouth.

“So I simply pile the vegetables and pickles at the side and eat it as a salad.”

But there's certainly no right or wrong way to design your burger.

DIO Burger encourages diners to do it “any way you want it” — until it hits the right spot.

in non-stick griddle.

Making your own pancakes is as simple as squeezing the batter on the pan and waiting for the pancakes to turn golden-brown.

to choose from.

One such combination is made up of zucchini batter, mushrooms, chopped scallions, and blue cheese.

Compared to the other options, the zucchini batter was slightly diluted, producing slightly thinner pancakes.

Some might also be deterred by the pungent smell of blue cheese that lingers even after cooking.

But when eaten together, the savoury mix of flavours justified the recommendation indeed. The strong salty taste of blue cheese — sparingly added — blended well with the mild flavour of the zucchini batter.

If you are feeling less adventurous, stick to safer combinations like that of buttermilk batter topped with chopped bananas and lemon curd.

The sweetness of the bananas balances out the mildly sour lemon curd, and make for a delectable combination with the pancake that was light and buttery.

First-time customer Ms Joan Tay, 23, thought the idea of Slappy Cakes was novel.

“The price is reasonable, as each bottle of batter can make a decent amount of pancakes," she added.

“The taste was so good that we

ordered a second bottle."

The restaurant attracts many families with children because of its family-friendly concept, but also counts couples and groups of friends among its customers — though most agree that the main draw of the place is due more to its concept rather than the taste of its pancakes.

Mr Thomas White, 44, a father of two, said: “It's the thrill of cooking your own pancakes that draws families like ours to try it out.

“We had so much fun that it didn't even matter how our creations looked and tasted in the end."

Originating from the United States, Slappy Cakes is the second MYO pancake restaurant here — the first being Nook at Lorong Kilat.

Slappy Cakes is set to open a second outlet outside Universal Studios Singapore at Resorts World Sentosa by the end of the year.

The sweetness of the bananas balances out the mildly sour lemon curd, and make for a delectable combination with the pancake that was light and buttery.

With batter options ranging from regular buttermilk to savoury zucchini ($8 per bottle), sweet or savoury ingredients (called 'fixings', $1.50-$3) and toppings such as lemon curd and greek yogurt (from $1.50 to $3), the possible permutations for your pancakes are endless.

For the indecisive, there are also recommended combinations

More on other DIY eateries Nook, Maki-San and The Burger Bar: www.nanyangchronicle.ntu. edu.sg

10-11 LIFESTYLE travelogue GOING ROCKSTEADY

Taking one of the better-known trails, I climbed up the hills to see the Delicate Arch — the most famous monument in the park.

moab, utah

“The winding road of reddish stone that I was driving on stretched out before me like a red carpet, as though hinting at more wonders to come.”

I

f irst heard about the Arches National Park from a Japanese traveller I met in Salt Lake City.

He spoke of the place with much enthusiasm and sang praises of its beautiful desert landscapes with their stunning pinnacles. Those few descriptions sparked my curiosity, and I was keen to find out more.

Searching the Internet, I discovered that the Arches National Park was the lesser-known counterpart to famous destinations like Yosemite and Yellowstone — often underpublicised and underrated.

But a second search revealed picturesque photo after picturesque photo of the park’s famous freestanding arches, mountainous backgrounds and sandstone towers. I was convinced it was worth making a trip to, especially after the Japanese traveller’s testimony.

The trip there took five hours, but once I entered, it looked like I had made the right choice.

A gigantic red boulder — looking almost like a watchtower — greeted visitors imposingly. The winding road of reddish stone that I was driving on stretched out before me like a red carpet, as though hinting at more wonders to come.

Located in the state of Utah, the Arches National Park is known for its majestic rock formations that can easily be considered some of Mother Nature’s best works.

Nearly 65 million years ago, the entire region was a dry seabed — serving as a canvas for the creative forces of nature to carve their way slowly into its present majestic landscape.

Today, the red rock wonderland is home to more than 2,000 natural stone arches and structures of various shapes and sizes — all created through a combination of weathering and erosion over millions of years.

I was drawn to the three main attractions of the park: the Balanced Rock, the Windows and the Delicate Arch.

The Balanced Rock is a 40m-tall structure made up of two rocks balanced precariously on top of each other.

coachella CRAZY LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA COACHELLA. They call it the music festival, an annual event not to be missed. A great honour for those performing, and a greater privilege for those who get to attend.

A gathering of free spirits who love music and outrageous dressing, Coachella is the promised land for modern-day hippies and lovers of indie music.

There I was, a lone traveller fresh off my flight into Los Angeles International Airport, with Coachella ticket in hand and a backpack containing more disposable cameras than clothing — all to last over the next few days I would be spending at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

But the airport was two hours from the concert grounds.

I had no ride, no money to rent a car, and no idea how to get to my destination. I had to think of something fast.

Stepping outside to catch a breath of fresh West Coast air, I spotted two men carrying heavy backpacks, their faces sagged and weary, possibly from a long flight.

Ignoring the danger, I took my chances and approached them. And it paid off — they were headed for Coachella too.

What happened next was surreal — I was in a car with two people I’d only known for 10 minutes, en route to Indio, California, where the music festival was held.

Guillaume and Nick, and their friends whom they met up with along the way, ended up being my company for the whole event.

The festival itself was set on vast, grassy polo grounds, with seven stages that bore the weight of bands for three days and three nights, a 45m-tall ferris wheel that served as a ‘guiding star’ to lost concert-goers, and the unforgiving Californian sun beating down on our backs.

Stepping into the concert grounds for the first time, I realised what the Coachella culture is all about — booze, hipster fashion and wacky characters.

I saw it in the party jocks who started their day with a game of beer pong (a drinking game) in the campsites; the curly-haired girls in matching tie-dye cropped tops and long, flowy dresses; and the enthusiastic patriots who wore country flags on their sunburnt backs everywhere they went.

At each performance stage, throngs of fans crowded

The route swarmed with tourists — young and old alike, families and even some locals — all climbing up with smiles and laughter.

Though the trail was quite an easy climb, there were large rocks scattered around that I had to jump over.

When I finally reached an hour later, I stood under the towering 20m-high freestanding natural arch, and took a moment to soak in the surreal scene around me.

I would never have known a stranger’s recommendation could take me to such fantastic sights.

- Lau Kia Yong

The Windows, on the other hand, is like the iris of a human eye — and not just because of its physical appearance.

As I looked through the ‘eye’ in the structure’s centre, I couldn’t help but think of it as a peephole into a breathtaking alternate world.

The Windows commands a stunning view of the northern part of the park, unravelling columns of boulders that stretched across the vast horizon.

The park itself was easy to navigate due to its main road that branched out into smaller hiking trails, camping grounds and its famous rocks. This also made it easier for visitors to keep track of the park’s major landmarks.

the railings in front, clamouring over the good-looking performers and screaming when they heard their favourite riffs being played.

Take a step back and you’ll find the ‘swayers’ — moving from left to right in slow motion, emanating a feel-good, chilled-out atmosphere from the crowd.

SILENT NIGHT I found myself weaving through the crowd to experience the best of both worlds, but as night fell, the stages were dimmed one by one and the performers exited backstage.

I headed towards a white dome where the Silent Disco party was held.

In that little space housed within 10 tent pegs and minimal scaffolding, party-goers gathered, put on their headphones, started their music in sync with everyone else and began their club dance routines.

It was a sight to behold.

Underneath the white canopy illuminated by neon disco lights and sporadic flashes of white light, at least a hundred bobbing heads accompanied the rhythm of the lights — all in apparent silence.

Utah California

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Lau Kia Yong, Mark Leong, Yvette Kan country’s flea markets, music festivals that make it the famed

“Never have I attended a concert in Singapore where I could watch more than 30 bands over three days, sleep for three nights in a tent, and did not give two hoots about the follicular growth on my face.”

Unfazed by the day’s blistering heat and the night’s freezing winds, I caught my favourite performances spread out over the festival — including a mix of lesser-known bands and more popular acts such as Red Hot Chili Peppers, Franz Ferdinand and Of Monsters and Men. Never have I attended a concert in Singapore where I could watch more than 30 bands over three days, sleep for three nights in a tent, and did not give two hoots about the state

of follicular growth on my face.

As the last night drew to a close, I left Coachella, with its iconic ferris wheel and all its idiosyncrasies.

I had come with just a concert ticket, not knowing what to expect.

But I left with the realisation that the Coachella culture isn’t just about listening to your favourite bands at a concert — it’s about lowering your barriers to a world of strangers and embracing a completely foreign culture.

- Mark Leong

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brooklyn on a budget

We managed to snag something not only different, but also much cheaper. Talk about a good deal.

Williamsburg is also home to the Brooklyn Flea, where locals flock to for vintage finds.

Unfortunately, with tiny pendants costing at least US$30 ($39) and gorgeous leather jackets priced at nearly US$100 ($128), we could ill afford to shop there.

Brooklyn, new york MY PHONE chirped with a message from a friend who was in Brooklyn then: “Hey, did you hear about the shootings?

Be careful!”

Confused, I did a quick Internet search. The three shootings my friend was referring to had taken place in close proximity to the Brooklyn neighbourhood I was staying in.

My friends and I knew that Brooklyn — New York City’s most populous borough — is not the safest of the Big Apple’s five boroughs, but Manhattan’s tiny apartments and high rents were out of the question for us.

So we ended up in a basement apartment in BedfordStuyvesant, or Bed-Stuy as it is known to the locals, one of the most famous African-American communities in the city.

As my friends and I were unlocking our front gate, members of the neighbourhood watch questioned us. After all, to them, we seemed like suspicious interlopers.

But the ice broke after one of us smiled at our neighbours.

They warmed up to us and even invited us to a barbecue.

True to Brooklyn’s nature, a charming hospitality lay beneath the intimidating gruffness.

st

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and Amanda See discover the and even sandstone formations land of the free.

“Being on a budget forced us to find cheaper apartments, but it was a blessing as it showed us the richness in culture in Bed-Stuy and Williamsburg.”

Perhaps Brooklyn is also much like the myriad of thrift shops that dot the borough: unimpressive at first glance, but a treasure to behold upon closer scrutiny.

Brooklyn’s thrift shops range from chains like Goodwill to small, independent shops in neighbourhoods like Williamsburg.

We ventured into Williamsburg in search of the thrift shops that were much talked about in online travel guides.

It took some effort to rummage through racks packed with old leather jackets and denim shirts.

But when we found a rare gem, it was far more satisfying than buying a skirt at Forever 21 or H&M.

Thankfully, the flea had quite a number of cheap eats, a variety that reflected Brooklyn’s diversity.

We ate too much food to recount them all. What stood out were the pulled pork sandwich with smoky, slow-cooked meat stuffed inside a crunchy baguette; the blood-orange donut; and the lobster roll with fresh, creamy lobster meat cradled by soft hot dog buns.

On hindsight, my friends and I made the right choice to stay in Brooklyn.

Being on a budget forced us to find cheaper apartments, but it was a blessing as it showed us the richness in culture in Bed-Stuy and Williamsburg.

The open acceptance of the coexisting cultures epitomised the extent of this diversity — people decked out in colourful traditional African boubous or caftans were mingling at ease with others dressed in T-shirts and slouchy jeans.

Brooklyn’s charm is usually ignored for Manhattan’s steel skyscrapers and neon billboards.

But with her fusion of cultures, Brooklyn holds her own against her glitzier siblings.

- Yvette Kan

ELVIS BECKONS memphis, tennessee I STOOD directly below where Elvis’ body was found 36 years ago.

Above me was the bathroom in which the King of Rock and Roll breathed his last.

I was on a tour of Graceland, the mansion that was home to Elvis in Memphis, Tennessee.

As we walked through the foyer where Elvis hosted his guests, the sound of our footsteps pierced the silent air — lending an eerie quality to the place, especially when we were so close to the bathroom where his life ended prematurely.

This eeriness was not new to Memphis, the birthplace of blues and rock and roll.

The city quickly went into decline after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr and the subsequent death of Elvis Presley.

But Elvis’ legacy is still keeping the town alive.

As a huge Elvis fan, I jumped at the opportunity to see Memphis while I was in the US. Visiting Elvis memorials such as Graceland allowed me to pay homage to the legendary rock and roll icon.

I was awed by the endless rooms and hallways of Graceland’s main building as I walked through the estate.

With its dramatic patterns and bold colours of gold, blue, and white, Graceland seemed stuck in the 70s.

Our tour ended on a sombre note at the Reflection Garden, where Elvis and his family were laid to rest.

“He had a God-given talent that he shared with the world,” read the carved epitaph at Elvis’ grave, which was surrounded by fresh flowers and cards from fans.

Even though it had been more than three decades since his passing, it was still difficult to accept Elvis was gone.

After the Graceland visit, my friends and I explored Memphis on our own.

I was struck by the fact that most of the city relied on the fame from its musical heyday to survive financially.

One such place was Sun Studio, where Elvis recorded his first song, That’s All Right, as a gift to his mother.

The studio walls were filled with vinyl records by legends such as Elvis, Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lee Lewis, reminiscent

of the studio’s glory days.

Black tape marked an “X” on the spot where these idols once stood during recording sessions.

A s we wa ite d for p e ople to c le a r out of t he studio, nothing made me happier than grabbing the microphone, standing on that “X” and breaking out in cheesy dance moves, just like Elvis did years ago.

“Everywhere I went, there would be something that reminded me of Elvis: the bronze statue of him in downtown Memphis, a lifesize cutout of him in a diner, and a band performing Blue Suede Shoes in a pub.”

Although Sun Studios still functions today, it’s now more a tourist attraction and less a viable studio — a stark reminder of the city’s decline.

Nevertheless, the people of Memphis take pride in their past, which cannot be said about many larger cities such as Manhattan.

Everywhere I went, there would be something that reminded me of Elvis: the bronze statue of him in downtown Memphis, a lifesize cutout of him in a diner, and a band performing Blue Suede Shoes in a pub.

Whenever we spoke about Elvis, the locals would share nuggets of knowledge about the man so important in driving the city’s tourism today, with knowing looks in their eyes.

Many may not understand why his influence extends until today.

While some view him as simply a passe superstar, Elvis’s music is what sustains this town, one day at a time.

- Amanda See

12-13 LIFESTYLE

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14-15 LIFESTYLE spotlight

PAPERBACK

TO SILVER SCREEN

More books are finding their way onto the big screen – but how do these film adaptations fare?

We round up a few of the best adaptations from books.

WARM BODIES

MY SISTER’S KEEPER

ROMANTIC COMEDY [PG13] Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer 98min

DRAMA [PG13] Cameron Diaz, Abigail Breslin, Sofia Vassilieva 109min

,,,,,

,,,,,

Z

ombies are commonly portrayed as gruesome maneating creatures.

But Warm Bodies shows they are also capable of love, with its entertaining portrayal of a zombie-human romance in both the book and movie.

Based on Isaac Marion’s book of t he sa me na me, zombie R (Nicholas Hoult) tells the story of how he falls in love with human Julie (Teresa Palmer) and regains his humanity through love.

Their romance is, however, fraught with complications: Julie’s father is a merciless zombiehunter; the Boneys — monsters even more terrifying than zombies — are on the warpath; and R is the killer of Julie’s boyfriend.

For a zombie f lick , War m Bodies is surprisingly a largely bloodless affair as the zombies do little beyond standing around and occasionally grunting at each other. There is only one bloody, human-eating scene in the entire film.

Considering this general inaction, Hoult plays the stone-faced teen zombie with an endearing awkwardness. The audience can’t help but root for this unlikely hero as he attempts to win the girl’s heart with his terrible communication skills.

To her credit, Palmer injects life into her cookie-cutter damselin-distress character with an expressive, emotional performance — quite unlike her monster’slove-interest counterpart, Kristen Stewart, in popular vampire flick, Twilight.

The focus on romance in both the movie and book is clearly targeted at the Twilight­-loving teenage audience. However, the stronger emphasis on romance in the film meant that the more meaningful messages conveyed in the book were lost.

In the novel, zombies are a metaphor for how societ y has reduced humans to soulless, cruel automatons. In contrast, the movie fails to address this metaphorical resonance behind the rotting mask of a zombie.

The film characterises R as a

LOVE AND LIFE: In Warm Bodies (top) and My Sister’s Keeper (above), strong casts bring the books to life.

PHOTOS: INTERNET

hoodie-wearing teenager (perhaps to appeal to a younger audience) instead of an adult as in the book, completely ignoring Marion’s use of zombies as an indirect reference to mindless, corporate drones.

But one thing the film adaption succeeds in is expressing the novel’s idea that redemption is achievable through love.

The use of flat, grey lighting and scenes set in a vast, empty airport reflect the emptiness of

a zombie’s life. The viewer thus empathises with the bumbling, awkward beings that reach out for love and are saved by it.

Light comedy is also effectively used to further endear the zombies to the audience, such as when R engages his zombie best friend, M (Rob Corddr y), in a conversation entirely in grunts.

Warm Bodies is a startling entry into the zombie genre because of its unusual portrayal

of zombies, creatures typically thought to be dead and unfeeling, to be in love.

Despite the largely faithful adaptation from book to film, each version should be approached with different expectations.

T he casual mov iegoer can e x p e c t t hor ou g h e nte r t a i n ment, whereas the book provides thoughtful commentary on issues worth pondering on.

-Yvette Kan

GET your tissue packets ready — the solid cast in My Sister’s Keeper guarantees it to be a tearjerker even for the stoniest of hearts.

Eleven-year-old Anna (Abigail Breslin) was genetically engineered at birth to be the perfect blood and tissue donor match for her older sister, Kate (Sofia Vassilieva), who is diagnosed with leukemia.

Tired of not having a voice when it comes to donating her blood and tissue to her sister, Anna decides to sue her parents for medical emancipation.

Like the book, the film explores the problems in the family, from the parents’ weariness and perseverance, right down to the cancer patient’s will to live despite the odds.

The impressive cast makes the movie a must-watch, even as its lead roles are helmed by two young actresses.

Vassilieva, then 17, gamely shaved her hair — even her eyebrows — for the role, and gives an admirable performance, particularly in scenes showing her raw emotions as a cancer patient.

Breslin holds her own by delicately balancing her character’s love for her sister with that of a teenager’s desire to control her own life. Though young, she possesses a convincing air of defiance and fragility in confrontational scenes between her character and her character’s mother, Sara.

But while the acting is topnotch, the film lacks the depth of the novel.

The novel explores the controversy of genetic engineering, family ties, and relationships, while the movie focuses on the tragedy of Kate’s life and Anna’s willfulness — leading the viewer to wonder if the director had truly studied the novel.

The book leaves readers mulling over the moral implications of genetic engineering and the role of family, but the movie’s deviation from the novel’s ending turns a meaningful story into a simplistic drama.

My Sister’s Keeper might be a slight disappointment for fans of the book, but is worth watching for its stellar acting.

-Leong Wai Yee

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THRILLER [R21] Ben Whishaw, Dustin Hoffman, Alan Rickman 147min

,,,,, THE hair and sweat of beautiful virgins — these make up a perfume so fragrant, a dab of it could make anyone attractive.

This perfume becomes the life of orphan Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, who resorts to murder in his pursuit for a whiff of the scent.

Based on the novel by Patrick Suskind, Perfume: The Story Of A Murderer is set in 18th-century France. Grenouille, the main character, has an extraordinary sense of smell that allows him to identify objects by scent from a great distance.

He soon becomes obsessed with the captivating scent of virgins, and devotes his time to preserving the aroma of 24 chaste victims — all through gruesome murders in the movie adaptation.

In the classic German novel, Suskind brings an elaborate olfactory world to life with delicate metaphors.

He emphasises the power of scent by describing it as something that “has a power of persuasion stronger than that of words, appearances, emotions, or will”.

A NOSE FOR THE MORBID: Ben Whishaw (right) succeeds in his portrayal of a social outcast obsessed with the smell of virgins.

Indeed, the importance placed on smell in the story is to the point where all other senses are secondary.

This is clearly shown through Grenouille’s isolation — born without a human scent, he spent his life unnoticed by the people around him, as they could not fully sense his presence.

Suskind describes Grenouille’s alienation in detail, at one point quoting that Grenouille “never found gratification in love, but always only in hatred — in hating and being hated”.

To his credit, director Tom Tykwer does Suskind’s literary masterpiece justice through the portrayal of scents in the movie.

Within the first few minutes of the film, viewers are exposed to fast-paced, multiple close-up shots of slimy dead fish, bloody cuts of meats, and fat maggots.

Tykwer effectively uses visuals to depict smells ranging from the fragrance of flowers to the odour of a wet market in 18th-century Paris.

T he mov ie ad apt at ion of Perfume thus brings to viewers’

eyes (and noses) a world that Suskind created in words — a world that centres on smell rather than sight.

Despite having little dialogue to depend on, actor Ben Whishaw effectively conveys the protagonist’s social awkwardness, as he walks with a too-wide stride and takes in his surroundings with child-like wonderment.

Whishaw captures his character’s passion for scents as he reaches about clumsily in a shop, grabbing bottles of perfume in excitement and complete oblivion

to those that nearly fall.

In stark contrast, his haunting eyes and blank expression — as described in the novel — while murdering his victims will unsettle viewers.

Although viewers are given glimpses of Grenouille’s background in the movie, more elaboration would be satisfying, as it sets the premise for thought-provoking themes such as isolation from society in the novel.

The movie chooses to focus more on his gruesome deeds, when it should have further developed the character’s background to justify his otherwise meaningless violence.

Stage veteran Alan Rickman also disappoints with his stiff portrayal of Antoine Richis, the father of a beautiful girl whose scent attracts Grenouille.

Although the film emphasises Richis’ close ties with his daughter, Rickman’s rigid expression when learning about his daughter’s death results in a lost opportunity for what could have been a heartwrenching scene.

Though the book’s thought-provoking themes are disregarded, the movie adaptation is worth a watch for its visuals, detailed set design and costuming, and Whishaw’s impressive performance.

Tykwer’s interpretation complements the novel visually, and is sure to stimulate the audience’s sense of smell and sight.

-Atifa Othman

A HUNGER TO STAY ALIVE: Jennifer Lawrence plays the fiesty Katniss Everdeen in Gary Ross’ screen adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ bestselling novel, with Josh Hutcherson as her fellow District representative.

THE HUNGER GAMES SCI-FI [PG13] Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth 142min

,,,,, FA N of the novel or not, The Hunger Games doesn’t discriminate between readers and those uninitiated to the series.

The film might not be what fans of the Suzanne Collins’ bestseller expected, but director Gary Ross’

futuristic interpretation certainly provides quality visuals and entertainment.

Set in the fictitious Panem, the Hunger Games is an annual event where a boy and a girl from each of the nation’s 12 districts compete in a battle to the death. The televised event is a punishment for the districts’ past rebellion against the government (located in the Capitol).

T h e plot c e nt r e s a r ou nd 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), who volunteers for the Games in place of her younger sister. She is taken to the Capitol with her fellow District 12 representative, Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson).

Although Lawrence was criticised by some reviewers for looking too well-fed for the role of a starving girl in a post-apocalyptic society, her compelling embodiment of the bow-wielding protagonist more than makes up for it.

Lawrence fits into the role of the young heroine effortlessly, as seen in her portrayal of the classic Katniss bow-and-arrow pose — with a steadfast gaze and strength exuding from her sturdy frame.

But the movie lacks contextual details that would provide viewers with a better understanding of the morally complex situations the characters face in the novel.

Unlike the novel where Katniss contemplates whether or not to

trust Peeta as an ally, he manages to gain her trust almost immediately on the big screen.

Though this might have been due to t i me con st r a i nt s, t he omission cost the film its potential to be a thought-provoking commentary on self-preservation.

But what Ross lacked in depth, he made up for with his imaginative visual interpretation.

For example, scenes of the Gamemakers (designers-cumcontrollers of the Games) surrounding holographic screens of a miniature arena show viewers how the Games are controlled — a futuristic and imaginative glimpse behind the games that the book cannot provide.

PHOTOS: INTERNET

Loyal fans of the book need not worry about the movie deviating too far from the original storyline, for Collins herself has stated that Ross’ work complements and enhances the novel.

Indeed, those unacquainted with the novel should read it to thoroughly enjoy the later parts of the film, as they require some understanding of the history of the Hunger Games; fans of the book should view Ross’ visual interpretation with an open mind.

Though novels often vie with their film counterparts for popularity votes, The Hunger Games is one exception where the two complement each other.

-Valerie Lim

16-17 DAPPER

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台湾驻校作家苏伟贞专访 —— 参见《南苑》网站

新闻

3D打印将想象塑造成真实 的大四生以及在学博士生。 系所院长蔡志楷受访时也 说：“因为设备不便宜，所以 必须确保设备的安全，不能随 便开放，但我们会让立志学习 3D打印技术的学生利用。”

董梅蓉●报道

南

洋理工大学引进最新的 3D打印技术，让机械与 宇航工程学院的学者们打造多 种立体模型，甚至包括怀孕妇 女腹中成长胎儿的塑像。 3D打印直接利用粉末状金属 或塑胶等可粘合材料，以逐层 打印的方式来构造物体。使用 者只要输入数位模型文件，就 可以制作出玩具模型，甚至医 疗使用的牙齿模型。

成立中心以提供完善设备

给URECA项目的高材生、参与 机械与宇航工程学院毕业作业

为了让南大保持在3D打印区 域的优势，机械与宇航工程学 院已经打算设立“南洋增材制 造中心”，致力于3D打印的研 究及教育，并提供更完善的设 施及环境，蔡志楷院长将身兼 中心主任一职。 其实3D打印技术并不只限于 工程系学生参与，蔡志楷院长 表示他们将结合工程与设计概 念，着力为亚太区域培养更多 优秀的增材制造工程师。 他们也将在未来与艺术、设 计与媒体学院合作，让学生设 计师利用这项技术直接打印他 们的设计品。 若不是工程学院或设计学院 的学生，却有兴趣知道3D打印 机怎么操作，可参加由南洋增 材制造中心举办的“2013新加 坡国际时尚3D打印比赛”。 参赛者须设计出以“水”为 主题的时尚衣物，并在11月1日 之前将作品提交给该中心。胜 出者将可以获得新币一万元的 奖金。

台湾驻新加坡台北代表处代 表谢发达说：“第一批合作对 象会选择南大，是因为南大的 中华文化气氛浓厚，这样更有 助于双方的理解以及计划的成 功推行。” 此计划由台湾文化部发起、 台湾企业家尹衍樑捐赠四百万 美金，用于发展台湾文创，让 全球更了解中华文化，传递台 湾或者中华文化核心的价值观 以及其中包含的人性的光辉。 南大非常欢迎这项计划， 中文系系主任柯思仁副教授 说：“台湾多元缤纷的文化， 是新加坡文化的重要灵感来 源。本地文化中不论是流行的 还是文学、人文方面的，都与 台湾文化息息相关。” 身兼中文系副教授和活动策

划人的衣若芬透露，台湾光点 计划所推广的活动将于今年9月 陆续在南洋理工大学推出，也 非常欢迎所有南大学生以及社 会人士参与，进行有意义的文 化交流。 中文系大二学生周昊觉得计 划为许多身处本地却希望了解 台湾文化的学生提供了平台， 在生活中结合两地经验也必定 会擦出不少火花。 而心理学系大四生林建良 受访时表示对于透过台湾电影 了解当地文化感到兴奋，也很 期待未来参加光点计划举办的 各种活动。他说：“多了解台 湾文化对我而言直接的好处就 是，当我去台湾旅游的时候， 不会感到太陌生，旅行就变得 更有意义了。”

3D技术不受工具限制 南大率先引进打印机的原因 是希望可以协助南大生在研究 上取得突破，也让他们可以实 际试验并在这项学习上取得比 全球其它大学更多的优势。 机械与宇航工程学院助理教 授杨慧仪指出：“3D打印不受 工具限制，允许超前的设计自 由。我们希望此技术能与设计 结合让更多学生从中受益。” 同样来自机械与宇航工程学 院的一年级生利祁对此技术感 到兴奋，他表示：“我相信不 少机械工程学院的学生很有可 能选择它，因为3D打印对我们 来说是一项比较新的技术，也 将会是未来技术的走向。”

3D打印技术以逐层打印的方式构造物体，允许超前的自由设计，打造多种立体模型。 然而这项技术还在初期阶 段，打印设备的成本仍非常昂

贵，打印机的价格最低也要新 币两百万元，因此目前只开放

把台湾文化带入南大校园 王晓亚●报道

南

南大作为新加坡的唯一代表，与台湾文化部正式签署“台湾文化 光点计划”合作协议。 摄影:林建良

洋理工大学学生将在接 下来的几个月内有机会 参与更多与台湾文化相关的活 动，这包括台湾电影放映会、 流行歌曲校园演唱会和学术研 讨会等，属于“台湾文化光点 计划”的重点项目。 此计划现与全球包括美国加 州大学洛杉矶分校、英国伦敦 大学以及日本东京艺术大学等 十二所大学合作，而南大是新 加坡的唯一代表。双方于8月30 日正式签署合作协议。

摄影:利祁

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CHRONICLE 02 言论

从吉祥物看牌坊说明牌的意义 最

近，属于南洋大学 （南洋理工大学所 在地的前身）的牌坊再次 引发争议。一名中华语言 文化的研究助理投稿《联 合早报》，建议在南洋大 学（简称旧南大）牌坊旁 设立说明牌，但笔者认为 校内与南大相关的建筑物 已足以解释过去。虽然历 史不应该被遗忘，但南洋 理工大学（简称新南大） 不可以再被这段历史所限 制，必须继续创造属于自 己的未来。 其实，云南园里的新 牌坊已设有通告牌注明旧 牌坊的存在以及位置。

虽然缺乏详细介绍，但新 旧牌坊的相关资料可在校 内华裔馆的长期展览中找 到。这让笔者认为旧南大 历史已经记载得相当完 整，如今的新南大已晋级 为全球排名跃升速度最快 的大学之一，若再旧事重 提，可能会对学校未来的 发展无助。 反观现在新南大也极 力于创造属于自己的定 位，不久前举办一场吉祥 物设计比赛，赛事强调设 计须包含学府所要体现的 价值观，并能让全体师生 取得共鸣。 据笔者了解，筛选出 来的10大设计，多数灵感 都源自于新南大校徽，以 狮子和红蓝两色为主，但

文 凭近 比 星 梦 实 际

没有任何一个设计提及关 于旧南大的历史。最后胜 出的是一只名为“Lyon” 的可爱狮子作为代表的吉 祥物。 笔者也访问到了设计 者计算机科学系的大四生 谢颜安，被问及关于为什 么不注入南大故事时，他 坦言不了解那段历史，并 认为旧南大的历史对普遍 的新南大学生不重要，也 难以让他们取得共鸣。 新南大学生不认为两 所学府拥有一脉相承的历 史，旧南大校友也不认为 自己是南洋理工大学的校 友。2003年，新南大前任 校长徐冠林博士曾建议学 校复名为南洋大学，却受 到旧南大校友的激烈反

对。刊载于南大校友网的 资料显示：“真正的南洋 大学历史只有一部，真正 的南洋大学只有一间，从 1953年开始，到1980年终 止。”因此，若现在突然 设立说明牌，那可能会导 致校友的反弹以及大众对 于两所学府的历史混淆。 往事已成空，还如一 梦中。无可否认，正如新 南大官网所写：“南洋理 工大学凭借科学与工程领 域的坚实基础与强大优势 享誉国际”，新南大虽找 到了自己的立足之地，但 历史并没有被遗忘, ，旧 南大的故事已通过不同的 形式留下特独的痕迹—— 位于云南园的新设牌坊就 是一个最佳的见证。

陈韵儿

来本地娱乐圈出现 了一种现象，曾经 为了发展演艺工作而暂停 学业的艺人，例如蔡艾 珈、陈凤玲等都纷纷选择 重拾书包念大学。这显示 了本地娱乐市场是有限 的。艺人重返校园充实其 它方面的学识，追求的也 不过是日后生活上的安 稳。笔者认为那些怀抱明 星梦想的人应以这些名人 的经验作为前车之鉴。本 地的演艺圈市场小，发展 有局限，与其将来反悔， 不如先完成专业课程，为 将来留一条后路。 本地只有一家电视 台，娱乐市场也有不少受 限，明星能发展成国际巨 星的空间有限，事业裹足 不前的情况时有所闻，因 此走投无路时，转行似乎 在所难免。在这节骨眼， 若艺人可以掌握其他的技 能，就能更顺利地转换跑

插图:陈芷叶

道。歌手蔡淳佳就是个 实例，她在歌唱事业低 潮时获得唱片公司的恩 准，可凭自己的理工专 业，到国大医院做验光 师撑过了低潮。因此一 纸文凭在明星发展受阻

时，变成了后日的一条 生路。 不少人可能会参考 线上艺人成功的案例， 认为放弃学业后还是能 有如日中天的事业。然 而这些人似乎没有考虑

到各国媒体之间的环 境差异和不同的发展潜 能。台湾有2300多万人 口、一百多个电视频 道、选秀节目也层出不 穷，所以年轻人有更 多出道机会，广大市场

电子本对决打印本 陈祎婷

随

着科技的先进发展，除 了娱乐、传播媒介等服 务都渐渐转换成了电子形态， 近年来南洋理工大学的教育形 式也开始采用电子教学。

减少纸张使用 电子产品及服务于21世纪 初已活跃于社会，但在教育

方面只是起步。电子本除了带 来便利，也符合环保概念，其 发明减少了纸张和墨水的需求 量。过去繁衍教育的方法就是 以手抄、文献记录、印刷成书 等形式保留和传扬知识，殊不 知大量砍伐树木印制纸本是导 致现今地球二氧化碳排放量逐 年增加，造成全球暖化剧增的 现象。换句话说，电子本有助 于减少树林砍伐，塑造绿色环 境，减缓地球暖化。

也能保证 更好的发 展。另外韩 国政府大力推 广娱乐产业， 作为国家的软实 力，市场之庞大可想而 知，因而造就了韩国团 体SHINee的泰民15岁 出道，天后宝儿更是 从11岁就开始接受严苛 的演艺训练。受到这些 成功案例的影响，许多 韩国中学生开始加入经 纪公司的训练，甚至愿 意辍学来经营事业。试 问，相较之下在如此渺 小的本地演艺圈，放弃 学业只为了在演艺事业 上赌一把，怎么可能会 有一样的结果，所以应 先把书念好比较实际。 本地选秀节目如 《校园Super Star》和 《The Final One》不停 地向学生年龄层招手， 也是促成一些人想提早 离开校园的原因。但学 生心智还未成熟，对于

电子本方便收纳

插图:王涵昱

吸引大家使用电子本的最 大因素莫过于其方便性。现今 多数人都有属于自己的智能手 机，而近年来的笔记型电脑， 采用了人体工学的概念，体积 小且重量轻，方便使用者随身 携带。 因此学生可省下打印的时 间，快速下载教学材料，方便 在课堂上查阅以及做笔记。 现今，大部分学生并没有保 留教学材料的习惯。一学期的 学习之后，打印资料以及课本 不是以二手转卖，就是直接废

插图:姚凯华

李颖盈

未来没有良好的规划， 因此容易失败，学业也 耽误了。笔者在就读理 工学院时，就有一位同 学为了能全心全意地参 加选秀比赛而毅然决然 退学。事隔一年，发现 他的星途不顺利，转为 夜店的活动策划人。梦 想没实现，未来的发展 也受限。与其急于放弃 学业参加选秀节目，不 如趁念书的业余时间参 加舞蹈班、歌唱班等加 强实力，等到毕业了后 再放手一搏也不迟。 人因梦想而伟大， 能有自己的梦想是件好 事，但少了周全计划的 梦想恐会幻灭。因此有 明星梦的人应先把书念 好，再朝梦想前进，做 一个聪明的明日之星。

弃。若使用电子本，不仅可省 下打印的费用，也减少纸张的 用量。 而打印本也占据空间，对于 长期寄住在新加坡求学的留学 生而言是个负担。电子本则解 决了此类问题，所有的资料都 可储存在体积小，容量大的硬 盘里，收纳性极高。 电子本有否可能完全取代打 印本，此结论还有待观察。然 而笔者希望大家能节约用纸， 并将使用过的纸张再循环利用 等都是实践环保的良好行为， 毕竟爱护地球，你我有责。

VOL. NO.

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02 CHRONICLE

生活之歌台文化 书评 Literature

书籍：《看见》 作家：柴静 出版社：广西师范大学出版社

,,,,

柴

歌台重生 七

月歌台给人的刻板印象总是非常 混杂，演出者大多都是穿着俗 气、表演节目也不符合大众口味，但是 近几年来，为了吸引更多人观看歌台， 各个台主也开始注入新元素。 除了搭建有先进音响以及闪亮灯光的 舞台之外，表演者当中也开始出现年轻 人，活力的演出带动了现场气氛，为原 本较冷门的歌台注入了一股新生气，而 本报记者也采访到了其中一名表演者罗 翊绮。穿着艳丽、说话带点娃娃音，罗 翊绮自16岁就在妈妈的陪伴下，到各大 歌台崭露头角。

透过歌台磨练壮胆

她说：“新加坡市场真的很小，你 很难去找到一个（表演）平台。那时候 我刚刚出道，纯粹为了学更多的经验壮 胆，透过舞台经验磨练自己。” 歌台的表演时间一般都是晚上七点半 至十点半，罗翊绮一晚便能够连续跑五 场秀，若行程从下午就开始，一天下来 甚至有可能跑七八场，而每次大概会唱

摄影: 吴琦琦

七月歌台是新马一带的特殊传统文 化，但现今成了年轻人崭露头角 的舞台，本报记者林俐怡就专访 了罗翊绮，了解歌台幕后的实况。

三到四首歌。 歌台文化因为起源于中元节习俗，所 以当中不免有许多禁忌以及仪式需要遵 守，这包括在上台表演前拜祭鬼神，以 保平安顺利。

不少人误解中元节的意义

其实中元节存在的意义是为祭拜孤魂 野鬼，让它们也有饭菜可享用，然而不 少人对歌台文化存有许多误解。例如大 多数人都以为只有舞台前的第一排椅子 是留给俗称“好兄弟”的鬼魂，但其实 观众席的后方也会特别排放桌椅，让这 些“好兄弟”享受表演和贡品。而歌台 在某种程度上可算是一种嘉年华会了。 从小就热爱唱歌的罗翊绮7岁起就到 各大音乐学院上表演课，但别以为这些 经验就足以应付歌台观众的要求。歌台 非常本土化，所以参加的人大多都是中 老年的观众，为了拉近距离，罗翊绮还 特别去学好福建话和广东话，也得练习 一些耳熟能详的老歌。 虽然已经跑了5年的歌台，她坦诚如

罗翊绮（右）在台上演出时曾收过高达两百元的红包。

今上台前内心还是难免会紧张，因为除 了唱歌还需要与主持人聊天说话，而这 就得靠自己的临场反应，很难事先预料 问题。 罗翊绮也分享自己最尴尬的舞台经 验。当时一名喝醉的观众直接冲上台想 要拥抱她，可是其他观众都抱着看好戏 的心态，主持人也没有及时出面解围， 结果她便和醉汉在台上上演了你追我赶 的戏码。 同样是让人展现才华的歌台就像许多 戏团和剧团一样，可算是半个演艺圈， 当中也存有复杂的一面。罗翊绮透露当 初刚出道时，歌台还没有像今天安排出 场流程的作业方式，通常都是先让比较 有名气的艺人先上台，身为菜鸟的她就 得排在后面苦等，有时候一等就是两个 半小时。她笑称以前会因为等太久，所 以觉得委屈甚至哭泣，但现在已经习惯 了，也觉得没有关系。 她说：“要在歌台生存就得懂得人情 世故、敬老尊贤，看到前辈就得态度谦 虚、上前礼貌称呼，因为他们在歌台的 影响力不容忽视，他们甚至可以告诉台 主不要让你上台。” 上台演出跑秀场固然辛苦，但它也是 一种赚钱的途径，上台表演除了有通告 费，有时候也会碰到一些爽快的观众包 红包犒赏在场歌星以及主持人。她透露 数额不限，最高的就收过两百块钱。 歌台的磨练也造就了罗翊绮在其它演 艺事业的发展，她就曾在U频道节目中 担任过外景主持人，同样也在本地电影 《新兵正传》中出演“Mayoki”一角。 她透露，歌台的背景让自己接触各种表 演机会，包括即将参与拍摄的一部泰国 恐怖电影，她也很期待这个角色。 针对未找到人生目标的年轻人，她建 议他们保持对新事物保持开放的态度。 她说：“人生有很多可能性，不要 一直认为自己不行，要相信自己，一定 会有一个地方或一条路是属于你自己 的，只要努力加油就会成功达到你的目 标了。”

静，这个目前在中国的知名 新闻人因在2003年SARS事件 时深入前线、真实报道而被中国大 众所熟知和接受。《看见》这部创 作便成为了她的自白书，更有人把 它当做是新世纪第一个中国十年变 迁的备忘录。 她于2001年进入中国中央电视台 新闻部工作，期间参与采访了一系 列标志性事件，例如非典、两会报 道、药家鑫事件以及同性恋问题。 面对这些足够影响中国社会进程的 事件，柴静所扮演的新闻记者角色 无非就是为大众剖析事件根本的问 题，解开问题的不同层面。从最初 的摸爬滚打，到如今的家喻户晓， 柴静亲自深入新闻背后，挖掘与人 们更息息相关的故事。 全书并没有刻意地选择任何一个 十年中的标志性事件进行评论，而 是通过柴静的亲身经历，在这些大 大小小的新闻采访过程中的所见所 闻，向读者展示如何挖掘出新闻本 身最本质的真实，还原到一个个独 立鲜明的人性的那一面。其目的就 是挖掘事件主角最真实的面貌和本 性，同时怀揣着对这种挖掘的绝对 倔强的坚持。 正如柴静自己对这本书所作的序 言中所说：“一个国家由人构成， 一个人也由无数他人构成”，没有 任何一件事情的发生能够离开一个 个独立的个体，而每一个个体也由 身边的他人所影响和塑造。众多个 体的汇聚，就形成了庞大而丰富多 元的社会体系。社会中所发生的形 形色色的事件，归结到最后，也是 汇聚在这些有血有肉的个人身上。 每个社会都要追求进步，在这过 程中冲突是必然的，但在这些冲突 事件中最该获得尊重的，其实就是 这些独立而富有精神的个体。或许 只有当每个人都开始在乎事件背后 的人，社会开始真正尊重个人的尊 严和独立自由，看重人权后，我们 才真正能够看清要去的方向，看见 前方的去路。 （文／陆雅雯）

图片:网络下载

Opinions EDITORIAL WHEN visiting Sociology professor Steven Lansing said: “I was told by other professors that Singaporeans do not respond very much”, nobody in my cultural anthropology class was startled by that remark.

And as usual, nothing was done in defence of that protracted image. That stereotype of NTU students as unresponsive class participants just sank a tad deeper.

Worrying as it may sound, it is fast becoming a social fact that bright and promising NTU students — well-trained to perform on pen and paper in a formalised setting — just refuse to speak up in class.

Some professors have taken to discussing coping techniques within their circles to combat the blank faces and suspended moments of awkward silence in class.

These include treating open discussions as a mind game and letting the silence prosper until a brave soul takes a stab with his answer.

Others thrust the microphone into students’ faces and shove them into the limelight — let them say something or drown in shame.

When we do speak up, we often ditto others’ opinions. “He said what I wanted to say” is a common refrain when asked to speak up in class.

Whatever was voiced automatically becomes whatever was collectively felt.

Perhaps what we need is an independent outlet to voice our opinions, away from the piercing gazes of our professors and peers in the classroom.

If so, we hope the Chronicle can become that outlet for students.

In this we mean: we agree that you may disagree.

For almost 20 years, our “Canteen Talk” column (originally called “Your Say”) has been present to sample the views of our NTU students toward current affairs (see p27).

Today, we still stand on getting NTU students to think with us, despite knowing that we might face the same awkward silence our instructors often do.

In our next step to disengage from this stereotype, we’ve embarked on a new video initiative, #hthtNTU, to capture your views.

If you haven’t been approached by us, you are welcome to express your views on our Facebook page. It is now updated daily, apart from the physical paper you receive once every three weeks.

As part of efforts to overhaul our online presence, our website has also been equipped with comment fields.

We also look forward to publishing your longer opinions in a new “Letters to the Editor” column. Send them in to chronicle@ntu.edu.sg by 18 Sep for them to be featured in our next issue.

THE NANYANG

CHRONICLE chief editor Wong Pei Ting

opinionS editor Andrew Toh

Managing editor Wan Zhong Hao

Chinese editors Hong Yuan Liu Ting Ting

sub-editors Alfred Chua Eunice Toh Fiona Lam Han Hui Jing Lim Yufan Steffi Koh Tiffany Goh DIGITAL EDITOR Benjamin Lim COMMUNITY EDITOR Matthew Ng News editors Cynthia Choo Isaac Tan

sports editors David Lam Nazri Eddy Razali photo editors Lim Mu Yao Yeo Kai Wen VIDEO PRODUCERS Miranda Yeo Sim Yu Ling INFOGRAPHIC EDITOR Jonathan Chan

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

ART EDITOR Celeste Tan

Lifestyle editors Bernice Koh Nicole Tan

business managerS Lionel Lim Ho Xiu Xian

Reviews editor Charmaine Ng

production support Ng Heng Ghee Ong Li Chia

dapper editors Felicia Quah Rebecca See

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

Teacher advisors Debbie Goh Lau Joon Nie Zakaria Zainal Wibke Weber

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU

Facebook: The Nanyang Chronicle Website: www3.ntu.edu. sg/chronicle General Enquiries: chronicle@ntu.edu.sg

frankly, my dear

A column by Chronicle Editors on issues close to their hearts

An affinity for cats Steffi Koh S u b -E d i t o r

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he se day s , a sma l l t ub of kibbles sits in my bag wherever I go — all the better to entice the neighbourhood cats.

It was thus a shame I didn’t have the time this semester to commit to the NTU Cat Management Network (CMN), which cares for the campus felines.

But having moved recently to a neighbourhood where cats are dozing at every corner, I’ve since bid farewell to Robbie, an affectionate puss who lives around Canteen 2.

Having less time to visit him, it’s a relief to know that members of the CMN feed the cat regularly.

That said, I wasn’t always a fan of cats.

I once shared my parents’ view that cats were disease-ridden and noisy, fouling up void decks all over the island.

My 10-year-old self would scramble atop my chair whenever a cat sauntered over to my family’s table at coffee shops.

That changed when I started living on campus last August and became acquainted with a drowsy, contented-looking tomcat who frequented the walkway near Canteen 2.

The cat had clean, soft fur. He begged only for pats, not food. His soft, musical meows won me over.

Subsequently, I made an effort to find out his name — Robbie — and came across CMN’s homepage at the same time.

I was surprised to learn that there were people in this university who cared enough to form an official group for the campus cats.

The devoted team of students and staff feed cats at designated places around the university, away from human traffic, and clean up leftover kibbles.

By preventing the cats from being nuisances that beg at canteens, these people make it easier for freshmen to fall in love with the plump, friendly kitties.

Sparing the details of how I got stuck with the ‘Crazy Cat Lady’ stereotype, I shall share what I learnt in the process — that cats can bring people closer and turn strangers into friends.

Even before I moved into my

GRAPHIC: TRIVIA GOH

new neighbourhood, I befriended an auntie from the next block while helping her to sterilise the family of strays she was feeding.

She still waves to me whenever she comes down to walk her dog — while holding a bag of kibbles.

Also, I learnt that people become more likeable — at least, to me — after revealing their cat-related eccentricities.

By preventing the cats from being nuisances that beg at canteens, these people make it easier for students to fall in love with the plump, friendly, kitties.

In the past year, I’ve become aware of the oddest details, such as how our former Opinions Editor Redzwan Kamarudin has 17 cats back home in Brunei, and how his sister loves dressing up the fluffiest of them all in miniature tutus.

And how Italian-A merican Dr Mark Cenite, Associate Chair of the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information,

has two cats with Mandarin names: Da Mao and Xiao Mao. The quirky sides of these diligent, serious individuals in the newsroom and the lecture theatre have made them all the more endearing.

More importantly, judging from the healthy cats around my neighbourhood, I know there are compassionate, responsible people living in my community.

Certainly, there are those who seem to loathe cats. Their cases have appeared in the papers: regular complaints in the Straits Times Forum pages against community cats and the horrifying Chong Pang cat dismemberment incident last December.

Yet, when these difficult situations dissipate, what comes to light are sympathetic, courageous people — those willing to step up and talk to irate neighbours; those who give their time, money and blood (literally) to trap cats for sterilisation; and those who put kittens up for adoption.

After all, kindness and tolerance should be a part of community living. The willingness to share our common spaces is in fact a nod to our humanity.

A community that tolerates and allows cats into their gardens and void decks is one made of compassion. It’s why I walk about, and take heart in the happy meows around me.

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Reining in the Internet

The Internet has allowed for a diverse range of views to be heard, some of which might be critical of the government. Will efforts to control dissenting voices bear any fruit, or are authorities facing a losing battle?

Thusitha De Silva

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h r e e mont h s a go, t he Si ngapor e gove r n me nt introduced a policy requiring websites that report regularly on Singapore news, and have at least 50,000 visitors a month to obtain licenses that have to be renewed annually.

They will also be required to remove content in breach of Media Development Authorit y (MDA) standards within 24 hours of notification.

T he i nt r o d uc t ion of t h i s policy, considered draconian by some, underscores a love-hate relationship that governments around the world are increasingly engaged in.

Regardless of how one views the Internet, any government that seeks to quell the diverse voices there faces a losing battle.

On the plus side for governments, the Internet can boost economies, adding billions to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

For i n sta nce, a repor t by management consultancy firm McKinsey & Company released last December predicted that the Internet market’s contribution to India’s GDP would increase from S$38 billion at that time to S$120 billion by 2015.

According to the consultancy, India, with 120 million Internet u s e r s , h a s t he t h i r d la r ge s t Internet user base in the world, after China and the United States.

T h i s i s projec ted to grow to between 330 mil and 370 mil by 2015.

Coffee shop and cabbie talk of the past has now gone online, and viral.

M c K i n s e y ’s e x p e c t at ion s u nde r pi n t he br oad r e ve nue potential of the Internet from a business perspective, which governments around the world are likely trying to harness.

On the other hand, a negative for governments when dealing with the Internet is its power to develop communities which the authorities have very little control over. Coffee shop and cabbie talk of the past has now gone online, and viral.

T he potent ia l aud ience for f r e sh v ie w s h a s b e come larger. There is no time limit

GRAPHIC: MUHAMMAD SABRI

Governments face the heat because every single policy can be closely scrutinised and critiqued on a shared platform. to the chatter, and the topics of conversation have become far more diverse.

Governments face the heat because ever y polic y can be closely scrutinised and critiqued on a shared platform. The Internet effectively allows for an instant reaction on policy issues.

This infuriates governments, especially those with decent track records of economic and social stewardship, but it is something that they can ill afford to ignore.

St i l l, it i s not su r pr i si ng that there have been attempts b y go v e r n m e n t s t o c on t r ol infor mat ion f low on t he Internet, but only because of any inflammatory content that might arise.

Apart from Singapore, other c ou nt r ie s l i ke V ie t n a m a nd Thailand have also recently put in place mechanisms to control content on the Internet.

With regards to Singapore, M DA sa id t he new licen si ng regulations would place news websites “on a more consistent r e g u l ator y f r a m e wor k w i t h traditional news platforms which are already individually licensed”.

P r o m i n e n t b l o g ge r s a n d websites in Singapore cried foul when they heard the news.

Some got together to write a protest letter against the licensing requirement. They felt that the new $50,000 “performance bond” that came with the new legislation would be beyond the means of their volunteer-run and personal blogging platforms.

These netizens thought the new licensing regime was a form of censor sh ip, a nd had been i nt roduced too abr upt ly a nd without consultation.

Indeed, it seemed a heav yhanded move by the government.

Not long after MDA’s move, a new website — The Independent — entered Singapore’s blogosphere.

The website aims to bring indepth perspective and analysis on current affairs, economics, and politics in Singapore.

The Independent caught the attention of MDA, which notified the creators to register the website under the Broadcasting (Class Licence) Notification. As part of the registration, The Independent cannot accept foreign funding.

T he Independent is unlike ma ny ot her non-ma i n st rea m websites in Singapore as t wo key people in its management team are former heav y weight journalists from Singapore Press Holdings.

The website says it seeks to provide “responsible, intelligent and robust journalism” to the Singapore public.

M a ke no m i s t a ke — t h i s represents a significant step-up for the local blogosphere. It has

been crying out for a website of this nature run by professional journalists.

It is hoped that the website can stay true to its stated purpose and gain a reputation for good journalism.

This means it has to remain objective and ethical, and ensure its reports are balanced, with points of view argued from all sides.

A l l voic e s de s e r v e to b e heard and no one voice needs to be always dominant. Overly emotional stories should also be avoided if possible.

There has to be room for people to vent on the internet as long as they avoid sensitive areas that inflame racial or religious discord.

Having said that, there should still be room for websites where e mot ion s r u n h i g h . A go o d example is socio-political blog TR Emeritus, which many dismiss, perhaps unfairly.

T h e w e b s i t e m a y at t r ac t many passionate netizens, but it basically mirrors normal life in which people conspire, obfuscate, exaggerate, rant and reason.

The reports on TR Emeritus may frequently be sensationalist

and anti-establishment, but there has to be room for people to vent on the Internet — as long as they avoid sensitive areas that inflame racial or religious discord.

These occasions have been rare relative to the more than four million Internet users in Singapore, because Singaporeans instinctively know the boundaries.

On the blogosphere, it seems like everyone is a Singaporean first.

T he I nter net is a liv i ng or ga n i sm t hat i s con s ta nt ly growing. Governments that seek to control information flow on the Internet face a losing battle. When one tentacle is clamped down, another one grows immediately somewhere else.

For Singapore, it is hoped that the likes of The Independent will start a trend of robust nonmainstream journalism.

Set the pace, do a good job and others may follow. It will be an incremental process as such websites test the waters to see how far they can or should go.

To date, the authorities haven’t named any websites that fall under its new licensing regime.

If it does name one, it’s likely that another similar website will soon sprout up somewhere else — internet regulation can’t stop quality ideas.

Thusitha de Silva is an adjunct lecturer at the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, teaching business journalism and news copy-editing courses.

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OPINIONS

THE NANYANG

Turning pink

GRAPHIC: LAW KAI HUA

Huang Caiwei

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hough founded only f ive months ago, Kaleidoscope, N T U’s f irst-ever st udent group aimed at raising awareness of discrimination against sexual orientation, gender, class and race, has its work cut out for it.

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T he group be l ie ves t hat complex issues such as gender discrimination and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) sexual orientations should be “discussed sensibly and with an open mindset for the betterment of the community as a whole”.

T hough t here has been considerable support from both

louder than words: online illusions

the student population and the school administration, there are pertinent issues that the club has to face to further their cause.

Chief among these are the m i s c onc e pt ion s t he s t ude nt population might have about its efforts.

Si n c e i t s e s t a b l i s h m e n t , some students have expressed worries of the club aggressively promoting homosexual activity.

Others voiced concerns over t he possible mushrooming of inappropriate public displays of affection by club members.

These rumours serve to remind us about the misconceptions and negative stereotypes one might have about our LGBT peers — like exuberantly dressed individuals in sk inny jeans, openly proclaiming and displaying their sexuality.

Compared to the rest of the world, Singapore is still considered a relatively conservative country.

Many of our elders, as well as a large proportion of the baby boomer generation, still regard LGBT individuals with a certain level of distrust.

Section 377A of the Penal Code — a law c r i m i na l i si ng homosexual sex — was hot ly debated in our courts four months ago. The court eventually ruled that the law was to remain in the books, a sign of how far LGBT acceptance in Singapore still has to go.

A look at other cities around the world paint a different picture.

Mont r ea l, a c it y ha lf t he

size of Singapore and located in Canada, prides itself on having its very own gay village — a section of the cit y which draws large amounts of tourists every year.

Closer to home, Hong Kong recently broadcasted its first gay film festival on television. The festival will screen two gay films every Saturday and Sunday night for two months to raise awareness for the LBGT cause.

However, Kaleidoscope will have an easier job in this regard.

Its main target group — young NTU students — are generally con side r ed mor e l ibe r a l a nd accepting of minority groups.

Crafting strong mission statements mean nothing until they are followed up with concrete action.

I n order to ef fect ively broadcast their message to the student population, Kaleidoscope h a s to m a k e a s t r on g f i r s t impression on anyone curious about the club.

K a le idoscope’s of f ic ia l Facebook page already marks a good first step to combating misconceptions. The page states c lea rly t hat t he c lub’s ma i n intention is to raise awareness of the many faces of discrimination.

NO.

C r a f t i n g s t r on g m i s s i on s t at e m e n t s , h ow e v e r, m e a n nothing until they are followed up w it h concrete act ion.

K a le idoscope ne e d s to show observers that it is serious in its goal of abolishing discrimination.

Word of mouth would be a good medium for spreading the Kaleidoscope message.

Students are easily influenced by what they hear through the grapevine, and if Kaleidoscope is able to display competency and confidence in its execution, this will gain them some well-earned publicity along the way.

The club has already made some preemptive efforts. They have partnered with organisations such as the Student Wellbeing Centre, as well as NTU professors li ke ch ief st udent adv isor to Kaleidoscope, Assistant Professor Brian Keith Bergen-Aurand, to handle controversial aspects of the discussion.

Ka leidoscope president Dhanashree Shelgaonkar, 23, has thrown a mix of ideas, ranging f rom light hea r ted act iv it ies like books and beer nights to more serious ones such as panel discussions.

If it accomplishes its goals, the club will add an interesting dimension to the NTU community.

Nonet heless, Ka leidoscope d e s e r v e s to b e c om m e n d e d because this small first step, if carried in the right direction, can go a long way towards creating a more equal and discriminationfree society for all of us.

Celeste Tan Art Editor

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5mm apart from story

Second lease of life for Borders

OPINIONS 27 canteen talk What were the points that stood out for you in the National Day Rally speech?

I’m for the new MediShield Life as the pioneer generation doesn’t earn as much as we do and we should take care of them.

Tan Jun Hou, PhD SCELSE, 27

GRAPHIC: JEAN TAN

Jasmine Tay

B

orders is rising from the ashes — but its flames might be extinguished again if its past mistakes are repeated.

The Borders brand has been r e v ive d u nde r book r eta i le r Popular Holdings, which will br i ng t he book store bac k to Singapore by the end of the year.

B u t t h e a c q u i s i t i on h a s left both business minds and book-lovers alike confounded and apprehensive — how can a traditional retail bookstore s u r v i v e i n a n i nc r e a s i n g l y digital-centric world with names like The Book Depositor y and Amazon?

I n 2 011, B o r d e r s G r o u p announced it had applied for bankruptcy protection, following years of declining profits.

Borders’ demise mir rors a worldwide trend — a print market that has been taking big hits from a shrinking clientele.

A st udy conducted by American think tank The Pew Research Center last year revealed that the percentage of US adults turning from print to digital media has increased from 16 to 23 per cent, while those reading printed books has dropped from 72 to 67 per cent.

These numbers are reflected in t he number of book stores shutting their doors or losing money around the world.

US mega book store chain Ba r nes & Noble posted a 10 per cent decline in sales at its bookstores and website for the latest quarter ending April.

And in the United Kingdom, more than one bookstore per week was reported to have ceased operation in 2012.

M o s t i n t e r e s t i n g of a l l , Prologue — Popular Holding’s foray into the high-end bookstore market — closed its flagship store in Ion Orchard on 25 Aug, citing high operating costs and low

profit margins.

It is highly unlikely that the Popular management has turned a blind eye to any of this. Any rational individual — even one w it hout a sliver of bu si ness ac u men — wou ld t h i n k t hat taking on Borders was a risky decision.

So what is it about Borders that makes it worth resuscitating?

Probably the Borders experience.

Bor de r s ha s a lway s be e n marketed as a high-end bookstore.

Its outlets are known for their r e l a x i n g a nd s oph i s t ic at e d ambience, owing to touches like the soothing lounge music and cosy sofas like the ones at its

Perhaps the new Borders could focus on providing a more specialised book selection. previous Parkway Parade store.

For bookworms like myself, Borders was a lovely place to relax at. Leafing through a few books and making myself cosy on one of the many sofas scattered around the store was a real treat after a stressful day at school.

Popular Holdings now has to find an equilibrium between selling books and encouraging people to linger in the bookstore to e njo y t he c h a r ac t e r i s t ic Borders ambience.

Pe rhaps t he ne w Bor de r s could focus on providing a more specialised book selection.

For instance, dedicating an extensive section for graphic novels and comic books could add an interesting twist to the new bookstore, and may even help it find its niche.

With the increasing fascination towards comic book characters like Captain America and Batman — thanks to the recent slew of comic book movie adaptations — comic books are now in high demand.

Sa les data f rom Dia mond Comic Distributors showed that the comic book industry had a steady growth in the first half of 2013, with more people buying comics such as the Justice League of America and Uncanny X-Men. In addition, holding regular writers’ talks are sure to pull in the crowds. Inviting local writers such as Catherine Lim, Russell Lee and Adeline Foo at least once a month for talks can entice readers to its bookstore and help drum up support for local works as well.

Independent bookstore Books Select at Armenian Street has invited both writers and wellknown figures such as opposition politician Chee Soon Juan to give talks in the past. In addition to drawing in the crowd, such talks also provide great publicity for the store.

Popular can also relaunch Borders’ online shopping schemes.

Instead of just providing readers with an avenue to order books online, Popular can consider expanding the website to allow readers to sell old books too.

As more Singaporeans turn to cheaper and more diverse alternatives like Amazon for their reading needs, Popular faces stiff competition and pressure to step up and convince the masses to support the physical bookstores.

It would be exciting to see Borders up and about again in Singapore.

But on ly time w i ll tell if Bor de r s c a n r i s e ab ov e t he compet it ion t he second t ime rou nd , or have it s f la mes extinguished once again.

The new MediShield Life gives me greater reassurance that me and my loved ones are covered.

Hariz Bahrudin, WKWSCI, 23

The new PSLE scoring system is better because parents are very competitive now and push their kids to study too hard.

Zhuang Si En, NBS, 21

None of the new policies affect us that much, but maybe it’s better because we don’t want any changes either.

Teng Boon Hui, NBS, 21

It sounds the same as what they said in previous years. They’re just implementing more of the same things.

Hermann Woon, EEE, 22

PHOTOS: TAN XIU QI

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bpl talk

English dilemma Nazri Eddy Razali Sports Editor

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he last time a top-flight English club fielded an all-English lineup, Sir Alex Ferguson had yet to win his first Premier League title with Manchester United.

That was back in 1992 and the club were minnows Coventry City.

Coventry City are now plying their trade in the NPower League One — the third tier of English football — and Chelsea have since fielded the first all-foreign starting lineup back in 1999.

As one of the most lucrative football leagues in the world, the

Barclays Premier League (BPL) is not averse to looking beyond its shores for top talent.

But what about the Englishborn players?

Sir Trevor Brooking, the English Football Association’s director of football development is among many in England who have voiced their discontent at the lack of opportunities for English players at the highest level of English football.

Consider this: only 12 of the 61 signings that cost clubs a transfer fee over the summer break this year involved English players.

The common rhetoric is that England’s national team will suffer

from a lack of top-quality players if top English clubs don’t bleed youngsters from their academies into the first team.

This concern is made even more pressing with the last of what many considered to be England’s finest crop of national players — the likes of David Beckham, Frank Lampard and Michael Owen — already retired or in the twilight of their careers.

T he ne w ge ne r at ion of players, like Manchester United’s Tom Cleverley and Tottenham Hot s pu r ’s Je r m a i n De foe i n England’s starting lineup, simply do not inspire the same level of confidence among fans.

But not all blame can be placed on the clubs.

Supply and demand

Simple laws of economics results in quality English players costing disproportionate sums as compared to their contemporaries from other countries.

This is because since 2009, clubs have to register at least eight “homegrown” players in a squad of 25 when competing in UEFA tournaments.

“Only 12 of the 61 signings that cost clubs a transfer fee over the summer break this year involved English players.”

“It w i l l e ncou r a ge yout h development and the promotion of young players,” said Premier League Chief Richard Scudamore.

But this has backfired as selling clubs know that supply of quality homegrown players is low, and top

sides present a high demand for such players to be able to compete, thus the premium for English players.

Price against quality

But high prices do not always translate into quality on the field.

Andy Carroll, Liverpool’s £35 million ($69 million) acquisition, took three months to score his first league goal.

On the other hand, Spaniard Michu was picked up by Swansea for £2 million.

In his first two league games, Michu already had more league goals and assists than Liverpool’s ot her English acquisitions of Jordan Henderson and Stewart Downing — at a combined cost of £40 mil — had managed in the whole of the 2011/12 season.

Back in August 1992, 73 per cent of the players featured in the starting lineup for the first league match of the season were English.

This year, that figure fell to 34 per cent.

But as fans of the BPL in far-off Singapore, perhaps the pertinent question should be: does this perceived lack of quality English players in their league mirror the problem that our S-League faces?

NOT MEETING THE MARK: The current crop of England nationals have failed to live up to fan expectations.

PHOTO: INTERNET

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SUniG flings into action Nazri Eddy Razali Sports Editor

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PHOTO: INTERNET

“It wouldn’t be the greatest moment, but I would understand because I’ve had my time, I’ve been dominant for a long time.”

Sprinter Usain Bolt (above), when asked if he was concerned about being unable to defend his sprint titles at the 2016 Olympics.

“I no respect Mayweather.”

Brazilian mixed martial artist Anderson Silva, when asked why he had been waging verbal war with combat sports legend Floyd Mayweather.

“I’m a guy from Auburndale, Florida, with a population of 10,000 people, grew up in a pretty bad neighbourhood, so to me, I’m Hall of Fame just by making it through my career.”

Recently retired NBA star Tracy McGrady, when asked about his chances of being inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame.

I T H a win against defend i ng cha mpion s National University of Singapore (NUS), NTU’s Ultimate Frisbee team came close to giving the university the perfect start to this year’s Singapore University Games (SUniG).

But it wa s not to be , a s Singapore Management University (SMU) crashed the party to claim the first SUniG championship of the year instead.

NTU met their match when they squared off against SMU in what was to be their only defeat in the competition, losing 8-11.

The day-long Ultimate Frisbee competition, held last Sunday at the NUS Sports and Recreation Centre, marked the start of the 42-day long SUniG that has local universities fighting for sporting glory across 21 events.

NTU Ultimate could not have asked for a better start to the competition.

Braving the blistering weekend sun, they were off to several v ictor ies, including a keenly contested 9-8 win against NUS. Team captain Henry Ng, 22, said that the victory against NUS boosted team morale.

“This is the first time we‘ve managed to beat them after a

It’s a stretch: An NTU player beats her NUS opponent to the frisbee enroute to winning the game 9-8.

few years of tr ying,” said the second-year School of Civil and E n v i r on me nt a l E n g i ne e r i n g student.

SMU’s subsequent 9-8 sudden death victory — following a draw during normal regulation time — over NUS meant that they were the only undefeated team in the competition, cementing their status

as champions.

Despite missing out on the bigge st pr i ze, N T U U lt i mate rema i ns posit ive about t hei r performance this year.

“Although we‘ve lost some key players due to the new academic year, we‘ve managed to work out new tactics that suit this new team better,” said Ng.

PHOTO: JEREMY CHAN

With more competitions in other sports and games coming up in the following weeks, it remains to be seen if NTU can better last year’s SUniG performance.

NTU came in second last year despite earning the most number of podium f inishes. N US was first with 14 Championship Golds compared to NTU’s 11.

SRC to get artificial pitch Reshma Ailmchandani COME Januar y next year, say goodbye to muddy, slippery pitches, as the Sports and Recreation Centre will replace the current fields with synthetic ones.

The main field will be relaid from 23 Sep to early January, while work on the multipurpose field and galleries will begin early next year.

Re nov at ion t i m i n g s w i l l be staggered to minimise any inconveniences that st udents might face.

Senior Assistant Director of Sports Facilities Management, Mr Yum Shoen Ken, emphasised that this the “best time” to renovate the pitches because returfing is now more affordable.

This is due to the increased demand for ar tif icial pitches throughout Singapore.

T he Si ngapore Un iver sit y Games will be unaffected, as all scheduled field events will end a day before the work starts.

Most users of the pitch believed the temporary field closure was a small price to pay for better pitches in the long run.

N T U Rugby’s Kenn Wong, 23, welcomed the upgrade as the

current fields get waterlogged during rainy days.

“It would also be great to have no mud and sand on our clothes after training,” said the third-year Sport Science and Management student.

Pitch concerns

Some, however, were not looking forward to using artificial pitches.

Wong Chun Kit, 22, a frequent user of the pitch, said that playing on the new turfs would take some time getting used to.

The first-year student from Nanyang Business School said: “The artificial pitches will cause balls to bounce differently and have an altered impact on the feet.”

Josiah Lim, 23, was also worried that artificial pitches would cause more injuries.

“Professional athletes prefer grass because it cushions their fall. It is easier to get injured on artificial pitches,” the third-year Sport Science and Management student said.

But while the synthetic pitches will bring about their own set of problems such as overheating of the field and certain injuries — they would minimise the risk of soil-borne diseases, Mr Yum

said.

The fields will also be much easier to maintain, lowering the cost of maintenance in the long run.

NTU had initially wanted to renovate the fields before the 2010 Youth Oly mpic Games (YOG) , according to Mr Yum.

But regulations required them to be all grass.

Further delays took place when the university prioritised other upgrades post-YOG. This lack of funds, along the unavailability of a vendor, resulted in upgrading being further put on hold until this year.

MUDDY NO MORE: NTU athletes will not have to contend with muddy fields when the artificial pitch is completed in January next year.

PHOTO: CHUA KHIPIN

VOL. NO.

20

SPORTS 31

THE NANYANG

02 CHRONICLE

getting physical with...

On the brink

Amid tottering at the edge of the rink and falling on her bottom multiple times, Jacqueline Lim experiences the fluid and face-paced sport of ice hockey with the Singapore Ice Hockey Women’s team.

O

ne moment my eyes were fo c u s e d on m y s k ate s , willing myself forward, and the next, I found myself looking at the ceiling of JCube — my bottom wet and freezing on the ice skating rink.

That was my cold and abrupt i nt roduc t ion to t he world of competitive ice hockey.

I had agreed to train with the Singapore Ice Hockey Women’s team ­­— and, boy, was I in for a spin.

As Ms Diane Foo, 35, secretary of t he Si ngapore Ice Hoc ke y Association helped me into my protective gear at JCube’s rink, one thought crossed my mind: I couldn’t skate if my life depended on it.

Hav ing undergone a crash course on ice skating only two days before, confidence was the last thing I possessed.

I had a sinking feeling as I put on the protective gear which included a chest pad, hockey pants, shin pads and helmet.

T he sk ate s , soc k s a nd a n oversized hockey jersey completed the ensemble that cost more than $1,000.

It took me forever to suit up — I wondered how the players did it so quickly — and when I glanced into the mirror, I was positive I looked twice my usual size.

ICE, ICE, BABY: Leon teaches Jacqueline how to maintain control over the puck while skating at top speed.

Despite the players’ bulk y appearances, the protective gear did not hamper any movement.

As I stepped into the rink, I felt like I was being pushed straight into highway traffic — the hockey players were executing a drill called ‘suicides’, which consisted

of furiously dashing up and down the length of the rink.

Talk about perfect timing.

My task was equally daunting (for a beginner, at least) — I was implored by Diane to try to move faster than a granny on skates.

I must have looked pret t y

pathetic shakily trotting on my skates as players whizzed past me at every blow of the coach’s whistle.

It didn’t make me feel any better when they started doing ‘suicides’ backwards.

As the team broke into pairs to practise puck-handling drills, I discovered I could actually skate better with my eyes on the puck.

While Leon Zhu, 28, an army regular, taught me how to handle the puck eff iciently, I felt an improvement in the fluidity of my lower-body movements.

I really could get used to this.

Beginner-friendly sport

Suiting up for play: Diane runs through the process of suiting up with Jacqueline as they prepare for the rink.

Diane confirmed that ice hockey was one of the fastest ways to pick up ice skating as beginners tend to focus less on maintaining their balance and more on the puck — ironically speeding up the learning process.

If only I had known of this trick earlier.

I got to spea k mor e w it h Diane as the players began a friendly match among themselves in preparation for a regional competition in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Contrar y to popular belief, ice hockey is not as rough or dangerous as it is often made

PHOTOS: STEFFI KOH

out to be, because players are governed by strict rules that forbid excessive body contact and cheap shots.

With 15 years of experience under her belt, Diane gushed that her love for the sport sprouted from The Mighty Ducks — a movie about ice hockey.

The good and the bad

She shared that being a competitive player had its perks and drawbacks.

For example, players were always at risk of major injuries such as concussions and broken legs.

Training till 2am every Friday is also not something many people can commit to. Holding down a full-time job makes it even harder to do so, added Diane.

But it’s the oppor tunit y to compete i nter nat iona l ly t hat drives her to pour in copious amounts of time and effort into this fast-paced and exhilarating sport.

“I also get to make a lot of friends from different countries,” said Diane.

With her words in mind, I was resolute. While I lacked the finesse of the players I trained with, I was sure that one day, I would hold my own in the game — frozen bottom or not.

Sports

The chase for glory begins ­­— Page 30

Making his mark Runners are a dime a dozen, but sprinter Mark Goh is a little different — his kidney was donated by his mother.

Redzwan Kamarudin

I

n just three years, Mark Goh has gone from hospital bed to international running scene, representing Singapore in the 19th World Transplant Games held in South Africa last month.

Goh was diagnosed with Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) when he was 13, a condition that shut down his kidneys and forced him to undergo dialysis for two years.

However, af ter taking his A-Levels, he was told that there was hope — in the form of a kidney transplant from his mother.

W h i le he wa s i n it ia l ly r e luc t a nt to le t h i s mot he r donate her kidney, Goh felt that the emotional ache his mother

endured while watching him suffer hurt him more than his con sta nt pa i n f rom d ia ly si s sessions did.

Even w it h a successf u l transplant, rehabilitation took its toll on Goh. Recalling the post-surger y recovery process, he said: “It was arduous to go from just lying in bed to doing physiotherapy and learning to walk again.”

But the 21-year-old student from the School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences had only fond memories of the week he spent at the World Transplant Games.

“For the other athletes, being able to participate was already enough. Because no matter who or which country it was, everyone was always cheering for each other,” he said.

Goh wasn’t able to qualify for the finals last month when he came in 10th out of 16th overall in the 100-metre run — only the top eight qualified.

But he is far from discouraged.

The Catholic Junior College alumnus already has his sights set on the next World Transplant Games in Argentina.

“I’ll definitely get a medal.

That’s my goal,” he said.

“It was arduous to go from just lying in bed to doing physiotherapy and learning to walk again.”

Mark Goh, 21 World Transplant Games Athlete Nanyang Technological University

Melvin Tan, a sports specialist from Raffles Institution, coached Goh the month before he went for the Games. He believes Goh can go far with his hardwork.

“I had to slow h im dow n during training to avoid any

injuries,” said Mr Tan. “But if he continues to train the way he does now, he will do very well in Argentina.”

Goh’s friend of five years, Xavier Ng, 23, tried his best to be supportive of Goh during his rehabilitation.

“As a close friend, I was worried for him after his operation because of the problems that might result," the second-year Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering student said.

“It was hard to v isit h im because I was worried of passing anything on to him, what with his weakened immunity system,” he said.

He adde d t h at wh at G oh e x pe r ie nce d t h r oug hout h i s transplant and rehabilitation made him a more determined and strong-willed person.

And with two years to go to the next World Transplant Games, Goh remains fully committed to volunteering as a facilitator at hospital camps for recovering transplant patients.

PHOTO: JEREMY CHAN

“He strongly believes that transplant patients should not be discriminated against or be seen as a minority,” Ng said.

Sur v iv ing his k idney transplant operation has given Goh a new outlook on life.

W i t h t h e e x p e r i e n c e of representing Singapore in the World Tra nspla nt Ga mes, he hopes to be an advocate for organ donation.

“A s m u c h a s t h e Wo r l d Transplant Games is a competition, it’s also to raise awareness of organ donation,” said Goh. “During the games, I kept reminding myself of my limits.

But at the same time, I wanted to push myself because it would help bring organ transplant awareness to other people,” he added.

And he is certainly using the media spotlight to his advantage.

“With the media attention, I can help get awareness out there. There are a lot more people who need orga n t r a n spla nt s than people that are donating,” he said.