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CFA Concerts 44+45
FOC Special 17+18+19
First Look At UTown 14+15
Mobile Multiplayer Games 56+57
THE RIDGE wishes you a joyful learning journey!
NussuTHERIDGE.com | issuu.com/NussuTHERIDGE
25
22
CONTENTS NEWS
FRESHMAN FEATURE
LIFESTYLE
08 THE RUNDOWN
17 FRESHMAN ORIENTATION CAMPS SPECIAL
28 11 THINGS TO DO DURING YOUR FIRST FEW WEEKS AT NUS
10 NUS LAW STUDENTS HIGHEST PAID AMONGST LOCAL UNIVERSITY GRADUATES
OPINION
11 NUS DEBATE TEAM BEST IN ASIA
20 THE ROAD NOT TAKEN
12 PHOTOSTORY: A NEW START
22 ON THAT POINT, SIR!
14 A FIRST LOOK AT UTOWN
24 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS: THE HOPEFUL AND THE HOPELESS
30 MAKING AN IMPRESSION IN YOUR FIRST LECTURE 32 NEW AGE BALLROOM 34 KENT RIDGE CAMPUS BUS GUIDE 36 TRUE COOL FOR SCHOOL
16 KNOW YOUR DEANS 25 TIN PEI LING: THE YOUNG POLITICIAN WITH AN OLD SOUL?
56
50
ENTERTAINMENT
SPORTS
WIRED
39 BOOK REVIEW + WHAT’S IN MY IPOD
48 TALENT SPORTING
56 MOBILE MULTIPLAYER GAMES
41 BLOCKBUSTER SEASON LIVES UP TO THE HYPE!
50 SUMMER SWINGS
58 MODULE BIDDING: AN INTRODUCTION
42 CHANNEL 5: A CASE OF FALSE PROMISE?
52 GET SPORTY, NUS!
60 STRENGTHEN YOUR TECH ARSENAL!
44 CFA CONCERTS LINE-UP
55 SPORT OF THE MONTH: BOATS, BALLS AND PADDLES
63 BYTE-SIZED
46 ASIAN FILMS WITH THAT SOMETHING EXTRA!
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04
EDITOR’S NOTE
Ed EDITOR’S NOTE
A
nd so another semester begins.
product giveaways from our sponsors and partners. You know you can’t miss even a single issue!
and returning students alike. For one, a handy map in the centerfold helps you figure out A significant portion of you our confounding internal shuttle have just started your journey bus system, and lets you know into higher learning, and are It is sometimes understated where our magazine stands are probably reading this magazine how much dedication is needed too. for the first time. For the benefit from our members to keep the of these newbies (and I would magazine running. We don’t Check out some handy tips on say many of you oldies as well), get personal profits, nor do campus fashion, and if you’re allow me to say a few words we have any tangible benefits. bored of the plain ol’ CCAs, about THE RIDGE. The only thing that drives us is take a gander on our article on passion and the satisfaction of ballroom dancing. Of course, THE RIDGE is the oldest seeing and feeling our work in the ever-important task of student-run publication print. holding up under the glare of on campus and its current your new professors will require incarnation as a monthly This is why we’re always some experience, which our magazine was only a recent looking for fresh talent to senior writers will share. event. Our dedicated team of join our team. If you can writers and designers slog to write, design, or even handle On a more serious note, the bring you great content in six the operative aspects of upcoming Presidential Elections neat sections: News, Opinion, running a magazine with a are creating a buzz in our Lifestyle, Entertainment, Sports, circulation 6,000 copies a newly-awakened youth, and and Wired. month, then keep a look out we do a brief analysis of each for the recruitment ads in this potential candidate. And be The magazine hits our stands magazine and contact us sure to check out our interview on the second week of every today! of the politician whom our feisty month, and is completely free generation loves to hate, Tin Pei of charge. Besides articles and We’ve themed this issue “Back Ling. photos, we also work hard to to School”, and you’ll find a bring you various contests and great spread of content for new I could go on, but why cram
60 pages of hard work into this measly note? Flip the page, dear reader, and let your adventure begin! From all of us at THE RIDGE, have a happy semester! Raymond Lau, Chief Editor theridge.chiefeditor@nussu.org.sg
because we believe you will be the next astounding generation! Email <Position> Recruitment - <Your Name> with a portfolio of your work to: theridge.chiefeditor@nussu.org.sg (Writer) theridge.headdesigner@nussu.org.sg (Designer) theridge.chiefdirector@nussu.org.sg (Events Organizing, Business & Marketing, Web Administrator)
06 EDITORIAL TEAM
EDITORIAL BOARD
OPERATIONS BOARD
Chief Editor Raymond Lau theridge.chiefeditor@nussu.org.sg
Chief Management Director Chen Liang theridge.chiefdirector@nussu.org.sg
Deputy Chief Editors Meera Nair & Vani Goyal theridge.depchiefeditor@nussu.org.sg
Directors of Business & Marketing Lauren Cheung & Cheryl Lynn Oh theridge.bizmarketing@nussu.org.sg
Creative Director Caryn Quek theridge.creative@nussu.org.sg
Director of Events Zhang Yuanjun theridge.events@nussu.org.sg
Head Designer Nguyen Son Tra theridge.headdesigner@nussu.org.sg
Director of Media Outreach Tay Yang Shun theridge.mediaoutreach@nussu.org.sg
News Desk Editors Luke Vijay & Yeo Shang Long theridge.news@nussu.org.sg
Head Social Media Managers Melissa Tan & Worapol Ratanapan theridge.headsocialmedia@nussu.org.sg
Opinion Desk Editor Augustin Chiam theridge.opinion@nussu.org.sg
Head Publicity Designers Ng Ru Ying & Serene Chua theridge.headpubdesigner@nussu.org.sg
Lifestyle Desk Editor Bridget Tan theridge.lifestyle@nussu.org.sg
Financial Secretary Arnab Ghosh theridge.finsec@nussu.org.sg
Entertainment Desk Editors Nicole Kang & Divya Gundlapalli theridge.entertainment@nussu.org.sg
Secretary Titus Teo theridge.opssecretary@nussu.org.sg
Sports Desk Editor Tan Herng Yih theridge.sports@nussu.org.sg
Orientation Camp Project Directors Er Cai Fang & Hang Liting theridge.orientation@nussu.org.sg
Wired Desk Editor Shanmugam MPL theridge.wired@nussu.org.sg
NUS STUDENTSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; UNION
Copy Editor Ngui Jian Gang theridge.copyeditor@nussu.org.sg
NUSSU Publications Secretary Tan Heng Wee pubsec@nussu.org.sg
Secretary Anokhi Vakil theridge.secretary@nussu.org.sg
CONTRIBUTORS
WRITERS
CREATIVE TEAM
News Desk
Layout Designers
Sherman Pun
shermanpun@nus.edu.sg
Rishika Anchalia
a0078704@nus.edu.sg
Dawn Tan
dawn.tan@nus.edu.sg
Lilian Ho
lilianho@nus.edu.sg
Augustine Kang
u0803142@nus.edu.sg
Sriharsha Bhat
u0906045@nus.edu.sg
Photographers Muhammad Nasri Bin Ibrahim
a0067091@nus.edu.sg
Opinion Desk Heng Mingfong
mingfong@nus.edu.sg
Daniel Tay
a0074233@nus.edu.sg
OPERATIONS DIVISIONS Business & Marketing Team Lauren Tan
laurentan@nus.edu.sg
Vanessa Tan
vanessatpl@nus.edu.sg
Meenu James
u0909116@nus.edu.sg
Grace Carter
a0076261@nus.edu.sg
Melody Lim
melodylimsm@nus.edu.sg
Bridget Tan
bridget_tan@nus.edu.sg
Jasmine Teo
jasmine.teo@nus.edu.sg
Tan Yuh Ting
yuhting@nus.edu.sg
Cheong Siang Yeng
a0074496@nus.edu.sg
How Shu Hui
shuhui01@nus.edu.sg
Stella Tan
u0902816@nus.edu.sg
Lu Jia Hui
a0002680@nus.edu.sg
Lifestyle Desk
Events Team
Entertainment Desk Retna Devi
a0071116@nus.edu.sg
Social Media Team
Saheli Roy Choudhury
saheli.rc@nus.edu.sg
Nguyen Ngoc Anh
anhngocnguyen@nus.edu.sg
Chen Yee Wei
chenyeewei@nus.edu.sg
Sports Desk Prateek Sinha
a0074895@nus.edu.sg
Muhammad Syarifuddin
m.syarifuddin@nus.edu.sg
Tay Yang Shun
a0073063@nus.edu.sg
Siti Wajihah Zarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;an
u0804633@nus.edu.sg
Tang Zhengjun
tangzhengjun@nus.edu.sg
Publicity Design Team
Wired Desk
Finance Team
Lester Hio
a0072480@nus.edu.sg
Lam Woon Cherk
u080380@nus.edu.sg
Angad Singh
angadsingh@nus.edu.sg
Allen Cheng
a0070276@nus.edu.sg
HR Team Anusaya Kukade
a0074825@nus.edu.sg
Kavya Mariam Jacob
a0074430@nus.edu.sg
Magazine Rack Locations: Science
Stairway after LT27
SRC Canteen/Pool Entrance MPSH Outside MPSH6 Yusof Ishak House
Beside CBLC Printing Room
Engineering
Outside LT6
Central Library
Outside Library Entrance
Arts
Canteen Entrance near LT9
Business
Beside Bizad Club
PGP Residences
Bus Terminal
ASK ABOUT COLLABORATIONS AND ADVERTISEMENTS AT theridge.chiefdirector@nussu.org.sg
07
08
NEWS
THE RUNDOWN
SCIENCE (HONOURS)
SCIENCE
MEDICINE
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
LAW
DENTISTRY
COMPUTING
BIZAD (HONOURS)
BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
ARTS (HONOURS)
ARTS
ARCHITECTURE
GRADUATE EMPLOYMENT SURVEY
*Only for graduates with full-time permanent employment. Comprises basic salary, fixed allowances, over-time pay and commissions, but not bonuses. Data for architecture, law and medicine graduates were obtained after they completed their practical courses, pupilage or housemanship. **Includes full-time and part-time/temporary employment.
Source: Ministry of Education
Turn to page 10 for the full story >> QS ASIAN UNIVERSITY RANKINGS
1st 2nd 3rd
NUS’s ranking in Asia for mathematics, metallurgy and materials, civil and structural engineering, chemical engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical, aeronautical and manufacturing, computer science and information systems
NUS’s ranking in Asia for chemistry, physics and astronomy, environmental sciences, medicine, psychology and biological sciences
NUS’s overall ranking in Asia Source: National University of Singapore
NEWS UNIVERSITY TOWN
The two
21
-storey colleges can house
600
09
students each,
a community hall, dining hall, and will have facilities like seminar rooms and lounges The Tembusu and Cinnamon colleges
15
will open in
Aug 2011
Modules taught there will have a class size of
students or less
Source: National University of Singapore
Turn to pages 12 and 14 for the University Town stories >> YALE-NUS COLLEGE
2013 32
The Yale-NUS College will open its doors in
150 250 3
Yale-NUS has attracted the support of
students will be accepted in its first intake
internship partners, such as
majors
Bachelor of
Bachelor of
Arts Science or
(Honours)
students per year
residential colleges, which can house
12-15
They will graduate with either
The annual intake will grow to
Yale- NUS students will live in
Students will choose from
330
(Honours)
students each
“Among Asian societies, I will say that Singapore is probably the least dissimiliar in ethos to Western societies. We are open and rational, hold up the spirit of inquiry, we encourage independent thinking... It is a society within which a liberal arts college can blossom and grow.”
“Singapore... seems a poor choice of a venue in which to expand the model of Yale College in Asia. Some call it a police state, citing ample evidence, and there’s little question that it is authoritarian and continues to commit significant violations of basic human rights.”
“By collaborating in the development of a distinctly new liberal arts curriculum, we have an opportunity to influence the course of 21st century education in Singapore and in Asia, much as we did in our own country in the 19th century.”
“The folly of Yale-NUS stretches beyond academic freedom — it shakes the foundations of our character, name and future.”
- Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, at the official launch of the Yale-NUS college
- Yale President R ichard Levin, at the official launch of the Yale-NUS college
- Seyla Benhabib, Eugene Meyer Professor of Political Science and Philosophy at Yale University, in an article on the Yale Daily News website
- An editorial in Yale Daily News
Source: National University of Singapore, Yale Daily News AUTHORS YEO SHANG LONG , LUKE VIJAY + GRAPHICS YEO SHANG LONG
10
NEWS
NUS LAW STUDENTS HIGHEST PAID AMONGST LOCAL UNIVERSITY GRADUATES L
aw graduates from the National University of Singapore (NUS) emerged as the highest paid amongst local university graduates from NUS, Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Singapore Management University (SMU), according to the 2010 Graduate Employment Survey.
coming in at ninth place with an average gross starting salary of S$3,450. This is in contrast to the modest S$2,430 offered to applied science graduates from NUS who were ranked lowest in the survey.
According to the survey results, graduates of NUS Law School were offered an average gross starting salary of S$4,770 per month, with those at the 75th percentile range receiving up to S$5,000.
The overall employment rate for NUS Law and Medicine graduates stood at an impressive 100%. Other courses in NUS whose graduates obtained a full overall employment include dental surgery, nursing and business administration (accountancy) with honours.
The survey, conducted by the three local universities, and published by the Ministry of Education (MOE) is carried out annually to survey the employment conditions of local university graduates, six months after their graduation.
The overall employment rates are calculated based on the number of graduates who have obtained jobs within six months from the completion of their final examinations, covering fulltime, part-time and temporary employment.
Graduates of the fouryear Information Systems Management Programme in SMU who graduate with Cum Laude and above, came in second with an average monthly salary of S$4,550, while Medicine graduates from NUS followed in third place with an average of S$3,850 per month.
In terms of employability, graduates of the Art, Design and Media course at NTU were ranked lowest, with only 60.4% of graduates securing employment within six months of completion of their final examinations.
Architecture students at NUS also made it into the list of top ten highest paid graduates,
In a separate report on wages published by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) in 2010, local university graduates in general, across all disciplines from NUS, NTU and SMU, are offered an
AUTHOR SHERMAN PUN + PHOTOGRAPH MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
average gross starting salary of S$2,830 per month, excluding bonuses. This is a S$125 drop compared to the previous year. The average gross earnings for fresh graduates from the polytechnics and ITEs were significantly lower, standing at
S$1,780 and S$1,230 respectively. More information on the Graduate Employment Survey and Report on Wages in Singapore can be found on the MOE and MOM websites respectively.
NEWS
11
NUS DEBATE TEAM BEST IN ASIA T
he NUS Debate Team emerged as the champions of Asian debating at the United Asian Debating Championship (UADC), Asia’s most prestigious debating tournament, last May. The team, comprising of Sadhana Rai, a third-year Law student, Imran Rahim, a third-year Law student, and Robin Teo, a fourth-year Law student, beat the University of the Philippines Diliman in the grand finals. The competition was held in Macau. During the competition, they faced teams from universities such as the University of Tokyo and University of Hongkong, as well as Asia’s top debating universities, such as Ateneo de Manila University and University Philippines Diliman.
A Good Year The victory at UADC is the latest in a series of wins that have proven the team’s dominance in the Asian debating circuit.
Alvin Tan, a fourth-year political science major and the former president of the club, said, “The accomplishments of the NUS Debaters are made exceptional by the fact that the Debate Club as a whole has made it to, at minimum, the semi-finals of every tournament it attended.” In the past year, the club has won more than six local and international debate tournaments: this includes the Asian British-Parliamentary Debate Championship, the World University Peace Invitational Debate Championship, the United Asian Debating Championship and the International Humanitarian Law Debate Championship. Last December, the NUS debate team competed against Western powerhouses like the Cambridge University team and the Monash University team to emerge as champions of the World University Peace Invitational Debate (WUPID).
The competition was held in Kuala Lumpur. The competition, a precursor to the World Universities Debate Championship, is one of the most prestigious and exclusive debate tournaments. Only the top 30 debating institutions in the world are invited to WUPID. Clinching the WUPID championship title is not only a first for NUS, but also a first for all Asian universities. Rahim, who took part in this tournament as well, said, “The win was emotionally gratifying. We worked our socks off for months before the tournament, and to beat universities like Cambridge and Sydney on the way to victory made it all worthwhile.” If you are interested in joining the NUS Debate Team, please email nusdebates@gmail.com.
AUTHOR DAWN TAN + PHOTOGRAPHS NUS DEBATE TEAM
12
NEWS*PHOTOSTORY
NEWS*PHOTOSTORY
13
A NEW START
THE UNIVERSITY TOWN IS FINALLY OPEN. SRIHARSHA BHAT TELLS US HIS THOUGHTS ON ITS RESIDENTIAL COLLEGES AND THEIR RESIDENTS.
A
ugust arrives. The start of the month named after the first Roman emperor comes after two high-octane tennis tournaments at Paris and London and heralds the beginning of the football season and the last stages of the summer transfer window. The month also contains the national days of Singapore, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Switzerland and South Korea along with a host of independence days for several African and Central Asian states. As nations celebrate their independence and sportsmen change teams, something else happens, almost unnoticed: a new semester begins at NUS, along with its lectures, CCAs, productions and parties. The start of a semester is welcomed in different ways by different people. Freshmen would face it with a mix of uncertainty, trepidation and excitement - the emotions involved with leaving home to a strange, new place. Returning seniors would be less uncertain. Many feel their summer was too short, while others are excited to be meeting friends and trading accounts of travels to exotic locales. And perhaps there are also those who cannot wait to get back into their term time routine.
The newly-built University Town and its Link Bridge to the Kent Ridge Campus.
A new sight for many returnees would be the sudden materialisation of a host of tall buildings near the Faculty of Engineering. University Town
is a new addition to the campus this year. After all the buildup and the planning and the press coverage, it will finally have students and lecturers in residence, all part of a new way of living on campus: integrated living and learning. There would be uncertainty about what is to come, but also excitement about new possibilities. Everyone in University Town would start with a fresh new slate, a part of something new. A chance to shape a new culture is an exciting opportunity, and all the uncertainty could very well transform into a feeling of belonging and a platform to make lasting memories. Life at University Town could be markedly different form the rest of NUS. Perhaps it would be a diverse intellectual community where people discuss philosophy over dinner, a place where engineers would meet in the dead of night to discuss poetry and historians would build a trebuchet, or just a place for students and professors to enjoy life, side by side. Unfortunately, such speculation is futile. Only time will tell how University Town will evolve. Today, all we can do is stand watching those towering edifices in the horizon and wonder what the future holds.
AUTHOR SRIHARSHA BHAT + PHOTOGRAPHER MUHAMMAD NASRI BIN IBRAHIM
14
NEWS
The Education Resource Centre (left), which will serve as a focal point for UTown residents, housing facilities like computer labs, seminar rooms and study spaces.
A FIRST LOOK AT UTOWN
The facade of a residential college.
MUHAMMAD NASRI BIN IBRAHIM TAKES A SNEAK PEEK AT THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE UNIVERSITY TOWN, AHEAD OF THE RESIDENTIAL COLLEGESâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; OPENING IN AUGUST.
Construction of the Town Green, with the Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE) in the background.
AKES TION OF NING
Research kground.
NEWS
The Town Green and the Edusports Complex under construction.
The Tembusu College and its dining hall, which will be shared with Cinnamon College.
15
The Education Resource Centre (left) and the Cinnamon and Tembusu Colleges (right).
Building staff conducting a handing-over procedure with NUS students.
The Tembusu tree, planted in front of the Education Resource Centre (background).
PHOTOGRAPHER MUHAMMAD NASRI BIN IBRAHIM
16
NEWS
KNOW YOUR DEANS THREE DEANS SPEAK TO AUGUSTINE KANG ABOUT UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION IN THEIR RESPECTIVE FACULTIES.
Our primary aim is to nurture the love of knowledge and the embrace of life-long learning. At the end of their course at the FASS, I hope our students have sufficient skills to continue independent learning, and to engage in critical discourse. And they should always be curious about the social environment we live in, and never stop asking ‘why’ and ‘what if ’.
Associate Professor Paulin Straughan Vice Dean, Faculty of the A rts and Social Sciences
For Science students, about half of you will pursue careers directly related to your undergraduate studies, in research and education. The other half will pursue a broader range of careers where your scientific literacy gained will be useful, but employers also look for a broader range of transferable skills such as good communication and writing, teamwork and management skills. Hence, besides your academic studies, make time to pursue other interests. There are a myriad of opportunities at NUS to choose from: student clubs and societies, sports, career courses, community service, residential college, overseas exchange.
Professor Andrew Wee Dean, Faculty of Science
The practice of medicine is called a ‘practice’ because it is a continual process of discovery, renewal, and improvement. In pursuing a degree in Medicine, students will do well to reconceptualize school as a place to learn rather than as a place to excel in exams. The pathway to get into the medical course often pits students against exams. Upon entry, however, the faster you realise that the goal of your faculty, tutors, and mentors is to help you address your learning needs to improve lives - rather than score high marks on a test - the more you will get from the course. Professor John Wong Dean, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine
AUTHOR AUGUSTINE KANG + PHOTOGRAPH NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE
FRESHMAN FEATURE
17
FRESHMAN ORIENTATION CAMPS
SPECIAL
Hall Exposure Camps, May 2011
Freshman Orientation Camps (FOC), an annual NUS tradition, are usually held in the period of May to July by the various halls, faculties and clubs. These camps generally have (1) station games, (2) wet and dirty games, (3) pool games, (4) an amazing race, (5) a night adventure segment, (6) beach games, (7) mass dance and last but not least, (8) the popular Secret Pal (SP) segment. This year, THE RIDGE checks out some of the freshman camps to find out what goes down under.
Kent Ridge Hall Exposure Camp “Have YOU been blue-blooded yet?” ighty future freshmen, out of close to 150 hopeful applicants, were “blue-blooded” this May 23 to 25 at Camp Blue Blood 2011, a long-standing annual tradition of Kent Ridge Hall. During the three days, campers had a firsthand look at the hall’s facilities and spent two nights in the hall’s rooms. In addition, two straight days of classic camp games, including an afternoon at the campus pool, allowed campers to get to know their future Kent Ridge seniors and get a taste of hall culture. Tan Chun Wui, who will be matriculating in August, said, “As much as I hated having butter on my nose or toothpaste on my face, I thoroughly enjoyed having done such ridiculous things with such great people.” In addition to the games, campers were treated to shows by Kent Ridge Hall’s various performing groups – which are known collectively as K6. It was a key highlight at the camp as the hall is known for its strong roots in the cultural arts – namely music, dance and drama.
E
Eusoff Hall Exposure Camp Yellow Fever Up! ot on the heels of Camp Blue Blood, Eusoff Hall held its second annual hall exposure camp in the final week of May. The event, dubbed Camp Yellow Fever, drew a total of 40 freshmen – twice the number of campers compared to last year’s pioneer exposure camp. The three-day event, beginning on May 25, introduced campers to hall life and culture – not to mention some of the classic orientation games we all know and love. Tham Wan Yi, a freshman, was impressed by the camp councillors. She said, “When I saw the deep friendship my OGLs shared, it really made me want to stay in Eusoff Hall and become a part of that tight-knit community.” Goh Koon Hui, a second-year arts student, was a testament to Tham’s perception of Eusoff Hall. He affirmed, “After two short semesters in Eusoff, I’ve made some of my closest friends. These are relationships that will last long after I leave university.”
H
Raffles Hall Exposure Camp To New Beginnings! affles Hall had much to celebrate as it held its first ever hall exposure camp to resounding success. Beginning on May 30, it was a four-day camp that had forty freshmen attending. Leanne Tan, the Camp Publicity Head, mentioned that the camp would be a new Raffles tradition. She admitted that the process of organising an exposure camp was not without its difficulties. “One of the biggest challenges was coming up with an exposure camp from scratch. We had to create events, group names and cheers. However, I think we have achieved our aim of exposing this new generation of students to Raffles Hall,” she said. The third-year economics major added, “We tried to give our freshies an experience they would not find elsewhere by having activities like laser tag and the Zorb ball segment.” On top of those unique games, the camp also had a barbeque night, as well as the requisite dirty and wet games.
R
AUTHOR CHEN LIANG + PHOTOGRAPHER CAMP PHOTOGRAPHERS
18
FRESHMAN FEATURE
Faculty Social Camps, June 2011 Faculty of Engineering Camp Just Dance! ith a hearty theme inspired by the nostalgic “Mr Men and Little Miss” book series, the Engin Camp was held from June 7 over a period of four days. One of the classic orientation activities that really stood out during this camp was its fun and energetic —and yet elegantly simple— mass dance. Choreographed mainly by Victoria Gan, the dance was made up of simple movements that can be easily picked up by just about anyone. However, despite its simplicity, the excitement level during the dance and sense of accomplishment upon completing it were not diminished one bit. To top off the exhilarating dance, campers also enjoyed numerous innovative games throughout the camp. “I felt that the games were enjoyable and very original. I really enjoyed the game where we had to pedal on a rubber tyre to collect ping pong balls to form a picture,” said Eric Lim, a freshman. Last but not least, campers had a good time during a unique dragon-boating session, which generated positive responses because it was a fresh experience for many.
W
Videos from the camp have been posted up onto www.facebook.com/NussuTHERIDGE.
Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences Camp “Arts Goes Hollywood” rts Goes Hollywood” – That’s the name of the FASS Camp that started on June 18. With 300 campers and lasting five days, it was one of the biggest and longest camps in NUS. A hallmark of the FASS Camp is its tradition of having a strong “group culture”, in which group members have a strong sense of identity and belonging to the group. Carrying this tradition on throughout the years, sophomores often return as group leaders and councillors for the group that they were a part of as freshmen. The biggest highlight of the camp was its “Social Night”, which was held in a white tent with a nearby open-air inflatable pool featuring Zorb balls. For the first time in the history of NUS, campers enjoyed a clubbing experience in the very compounds of the campus, at the NUS Lovers’ Garden. “The energy levels were frenetic during Social Night,” said Paul Chia, the Camp Director.
“A
Faculty of Science Camp Meet Yao Ming, Michael Jackson and “L”! une 20 marked the start of the five-day Science Camp, also more commonly known as SCAMP, that saw 190 campers participating. Unique to SCAMP, were the numerous pleasant twists that were added into its games and events. Campers had a gift making session during an SP segment that gave them the opportunity to sew personalized gifts for their partners. They also had the chance to use HTC phones to navigate themselves during the “amazing race” segment. The most unique twist happened during the “Oscars Night”. In this game segment, stationmasters dressed up as notable characters such as Yao Ming, Michael Jackson, and the fictitious character “L” from Death Note. “I really enjoyed the Oscars Night. The seniors acted out their parts very well and it felt like I had entered a live character museum,” said Nicholas, a freshman. Another freshman, Diane, said, “The wacky yet cleverly-thought games were more than successful in promoting cohesiveness among science students. Now I can proudly say I’m a SCAMPER and share my awesome experience with others!”
J
FRESHMAN FEATURE
19
Club Social Camps, July 2011 Cultural Activities Club (CAC) Camp “Rumour has it…” hh… A little bird told me that Camp XOXO was held over four days from July 4 to July 7 with 120 campers. “Rumour has it” that the camp was met with enthusiastic response, especially during its dance introduction courses, which provided a rare opportunity for freshmen to learn and try out different dance styles. Taught by seniors and professionals, the courses were a hit with both participating freshmen and councillors alike, although there were initial awkward giggles as participants showed off just how graceful they could be! The camp also had an innovative war game, during which freshmen were made to wear stockings over their heads. The objective was to tug the stocking off your own head by intertwining it with an opponent’s stocking. While sounding difficult in print, the game was a lot more entertaining in real life, with screams and laughs emanating from the stocking clad freshmen who took stock of how ridiculous their attire was. Camp Director Felicia Pan recounts, “The last person with the stocking still on loses, so everyone tried very hard to remove their stockings during the game. However, in the course of doing so, their faces were distorted by the compression of the stockings and it created bursts of laughter!”
S
THE RIDGE - Running Man Camp Go Korean! his year, THE RIDGE held its very own orientation camp from July 18 to July 20 for its pioneer batch of 88 campers. The camp drew inspiration from the popular Korean show “Running Man” – hence the name. Featuring games like Catch the Thief, Work Time Olympics, the unforgettably thrilling Bells Hide and Seek Missions and an innovative Dinner Bidding event, the camp was well-received by the campers. This camp was a first for THE RIDGE, and it proved to be a challenge to set up. Camp Director Cai Fang explained, “We were really excited to have had over 200 applicants. However, the overwhelming response was met with numerous administrative restrictions, and THE RIDGE was forced to ballot to pare down the number of participants to the camp. We didn’t want to do that but we couldn’t find a way to expand the camp any further a second time.” Nevertheless, the camp still produced smiles all around, and met with enthusiastic requests for a second camp during the upcoming semester break.
T
Videos from the camp have been posted up onto www.facebook.com/NussuTHERIDGE.
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OPINION
THE ROAD NO
WOULD YOU DROP OUT OF UNIVE
A
s much as everybody would love to be the next Bill Gates or Steve Jobs and drop out of university to start a business, not everybody can afford that opportunity cost. Higher education is still popularly seen as the safest path to success, despite entrepreneurial tendencies. The Thiel Fellowship is an initiative by venture capitalist and PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel that gives 20 entrepreneurs under 20 years of age a sum
of US$100,000 to fund their projects. It is essentially a fellowship that encourages young people to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams by subsidising the forgone outputs of not going to college. Applications for the fellowship streamed in from almost two dozen countries, constituting nearly 200 high schools, junior colleges, community colleges, four-year colleges, and graduate schools. Of the several applicants,
AUTHOR HENG MING FONG + PHOTOGRAPH THET.NET
many had never been to college or were school dropouts; others were already working or had already launched their own company. Most also had a long personal history of entrepreneurship. Their applications came in at a time of increasing debate about the cost and value of a college education and student debt. In an interview with Peter Thiel on the National Public Radio, he stated his conviction that higher education is in fact overrated. In
his own words, â&#x20AC;&#x153;had the people who started Facebook decided to stay at Harvard, they would not have been able to build the company, and by the time they would have graduated in 2006, that window probably would have come and gone.â&#x20AC;? The Thiel initiative is a novel one - it allows one to rethink the value of higher education at a time when university graduates find themselves stuck in limbo after the 2008 financial
OPINION
AD NOT
N E K A T
UT OF UNIVERSITY FOR US$100,000?
crisis, the effects of which are still widespread. With higher education becoming the norm, the guarantee that university graduates will be able to find a job has been dampened by intense competition coupled with uncertain economic times. In an article for the New York Times, economist Paul Krugman gave his take on the debate by challenging the notion that we need to invest more in education because “everyone knows that the jobs of the future will require ever higher levels of skill.” He argues that computers excel at routine tasks, “cognitive and manual tasks that can be accomplished by following explicit rules.” Hence, computerization may soon eliminate the routine tasks performed by many whitecollar workers. In addition, globalization has made outsourcing an international phenomenon. I am not advocating that one must quit NUS and start a business immediately; neither do I wish to make one feel disheartened about their career prospects. Rather one should come to terms with the new paradigm that a university degree may not be the only, or worse still, the guaranteed passport to success. In order to stand out from the crowd, one needs to be proactive in planning for
one’s future and take charge of one’s own career progression. One does not have to wait till after graduation to kickstart that online venture, nor should one hesitate to choose a course that might not be all that ‘marketable’. One should seize opportunities and follow one’s passions because if history has taught us anything, it is that today’s ‘marketable’ job is tomorrow’s sunset industry. However, higher education is still undeniably important in the meritocratic society of Singapore. It serves as an indication to prospective employers about our working abilities by means of our academics. As seen in the recent Graduate Employment Survey which was released by the Ministry of Education, graduates from the three main universities in Singapore draw a monthly median starting salary of close to S$3000. The improvement in the overall employment rate to approximately 90 per cent in the three universities also shows that our society, or at least Singapore, still largely values higher education. As we plod through this academic rat race, we should stop and think about what we really want out of this life and to make the best of our university years. Would you drop out of university to pursue your dreams? Can one do both concurrently? Is passion sufficient
to succeed? These are just some questions amongst many others to be addressed while making such important decisions, just to check that one is heading in the right direction and not going astray. Establishing proprietary start-ups from scratch is no mean feat, especially since there is a high rate of failure. It will take a great leap of faith and courage to tread the road less travelled, but then, perhaps it would make all the difference.
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OPINION
ON THAT P INT, S Topic: Should Orientation Camps be banned in School?
“On That Point, Sir!” is a newly launched feature for the Opinion Desk where NUS students are free to debate and weigh in on contentious issues. Owing to the nature of the comments, it is inevitable that many contributors wish to remain anonymous, and we will leave it so till there is a practice of an open culture of debate where one can raise disputable comments without fear of reprisal.
AUTHORS THE OPINION DESK
For
Against
“Many orientation camps deliberately try to promote male-female interaction. This is ridiculous even if they are not intimate games. I attend orientation camps to make friends, not future partners. Why should freshmen be unnecessarily put into awkward situations and subjected to undue peer pressure?”
“Orientation camps are not the enemy. They are not meant to be specialised avenues for speeddating, nor are they reserved only for the outgoing and spontaneous. Instead they signify great platforms to get to know more people and build up a (real) social network as well as a whole lot of fun, so long as you are willing to keep an open mind and adopt a positive attitude. They can potentially kickstart university life on an extremely high note because of all the new friends you would have made! “
“Camps don’t just form bonds, they give birth to cliques, and such groups, tight as they may be, tend to be less welcoming of newcomers. For some people who just could not attend the camps for some reason or another, such a phenomenon could be potentially fatal for their student lives. A common example of this is evident when people pick their project group mates based on their orientation cliques, leaving those who were not at camp bewildered and flustered.”
“Orientation camps help people to bond outside the confines of academia, and for faculties without a fixed class, it serves its purpose to introduce lecture mates and lifelong friends. You will get to explore the school and take part in interesting activities that will definitely leave a lasting impression when you look back on your university days. There is no harm going out there and knowing more people as well!”
OPINION
NT, SIR! NEXT ISSU E Whether or not Singapore is ready for a liberal arts program. Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Note: Unsurprisingly, some people have raised their concerns about the perennial issue of orientation camp games. Not everyone agrees that the orientation camps tend to get awkward, and a number genuinely enjoy the chance to meet new people and build social bonds before the school year starts. What is your experience with orientation camps? Do you hate or love your camp experience? In our next issue, we discuss whether or not Singapore is ready for a liberal arts program. Send your comments and feedback to theridge.opinion@nussu.org.sg
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OPINION
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS: THE HOPEFULS AND THE HOPELESS WHAT EXACTLY IS THE PRESIDENCY AND WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM THE CANDIDATES?
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he title ‘President’ has a tone of authority and awe attached to it. It can be defined in several ways, all of which command respect: Chief of State, Presiding Officer, Chief Political Executive. If the presidency is such a prestigious office, why do Singaporeans hardly ever see or hear the movements of our President except during nationwide ceremonial occasions such as our National Day Parade, or at meetings with foreign dignitaries? With the Presidential Elections looming upon us, it is time we address the necessary and important questions so as to make an informed decision as we vote for our next Head of State. This year’s Presidential Elections promises to be an eventful one as compared to previous times. President S. R. Nathan faced no contest in both the 1999 and 2005 presidential elections. This time, however, the stakes are high and the competition rife as several potential candidates are gearing themselves up for the elections. Let’s have a look at the potentials:
1) Dr. Tan Cheng Bock Dr. Tan has been known to be one who tells it as he sees it, a reputation he has held since his days as a Member of Parliament. He recently resigned from the board of an upcoming hospital in Jurong as he could not accept that the hospital was being named after the tycoon who donated the AUTHOR DANIEL TAY
most money to it. Interestingly, many of People’s Action Party (PAP) members have expressed their views on his intention to contest. Former Minister in the Prime Minister’s office, Mr. Lim Boon Heng, expressed that he had “Very, very mixed feelings” about it, while veteran backbencher Mr. Inderjit Singh claimed it would be “awkward [to have Dr. Tan in the contest].” It appears that Dr. Tan’s former colleagues are not that keen on him contesting the position; his status as a former PAP member might also act as a liability to his popularity among the public, given the recent groundswell of criticism against the ruling party and the Presidency as merely a rubber stamp for PAP ‘yes-men’. My take: 6/10
2) Mr. Tan Kin Lian Mr. Tan’s presidential campaign issues are straightforward: one, the safety of Central Provident Fund monies and whether the government has enough money to make payouts to Singaporeans at their respective withdrawal dates; two, whether or not there are reserves to protect Singapore’s economic security in the challenging global financial environment. His take: although the President only has ‘custodial powers’ and not ‘executive powers’, he should
not forfeit his authority to fulfil his responsibilities – through “the power to persuade, to influence, to counsel, to convey feedback, and if necessary, to articulate informed positions on specific issues.” It is no secret that Mr. Tan has considerable support from the ground - many have supported his move of resigning from the PAP due to his view that “the party has lost touch with the ground,” a central issue throughout the recent General Elections. Will the wave of resentment against PAP give Mr. Tan an added advantage? Only time will tell. My take: 7/10
3) Dr. Tony Tan This 71-year-old former Deputy Prime Minister appears to be the government’s preferred candidate for the election. A highly qualified and distinguished personality who manages Singapore’s reserves as the Deputy Chairman and Executive Director of the Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC) together with Temasek Holdings, he is in an excellent position to carry out the presidential duty of guarding and inspecting the reserves, should he be elected. With Mr. George Yeo largely out of the picture, Dr. Tony Tan is in pole position - his reputation, qualifications and abilities provide him with a distinct
advantage above the rest of the candidates. My stakes would be on him to clinch the Presidency come September 2011. My take: 9/10
4) Mr. Ooi Boon Ewe Once the Chairman of the People’s Liberal Democratic Party, he has recently resigned in order to run for the Presidential Election. He has also requested for the eligibility criteria of having experience as a Chairman or Chief Executive Officer of a company with a paid-up capital of at least S$100 million to be waived for his sake. At the same time, he has also begun appealing for funds to pay the deposit requirement of S$48,000. It sure seems to have been a busy few months for this candidate. Monetary problems aside, my main qualm with an opposition candidate running for presidency is his affiliation. The Presidency is and, in my opinion should be, impartial and unsympathetic to either side, be it PAP or opposition causes. It is hard to believe that a political party member who has just emerged from the throes of political battle can fit the bill. That being said, the public would be drawn towards his alternative views as an ex-member of the opposition. My take: 3/10
OPINION
TIN PEI LING: THE YOUNG POLITICIAN WITH AN OLD SOUL? In a new ongoing feature, THE RIDGE goes off-campus to interview NUS graduates from all walks of life. This month, AUGUSTIN CHIAM and LUKE VIJAY meet TIN PEI LING, former Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences student and current MP in charge of the Macpherson ward at the Marine Parade Group Representation Constituency (GRC).
AUTHORS AUGUSTIN CHIAM, LUKE VIJAY + PHOTOGRAPHERS MUHAMMAD NASRI BIN IBRAHIM
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T
OPINION
in Pei Ling was at the centre of much controversy during the recently-concluded General Elections. Many have questioned her credentials by pointing to her perceived lack of maturity and political experience. Others have compared her to Nicole Seah, the seemingly more popular candidate from the National Solidarity Party (NSP). Now that the elections are over and the fog of war is clearing up, it is perhaps timely to consider a few questions about who Tin Pei Ling is and what she will do as a Member of Parliament (MP) in the coming years.
Having been the subject of heavy media attention ranging from commentary on the political blog ‘The Online Citizen’ to forum letters written to mainstream papers such as TODAY and The Straits Times, Tin would be forgiven for being cautious of agreeing to give interviews. It was indeed a pleasant surprise for us when she readily accepted an invitation from THE RIDGE to be interviewed. First impressions: she is poised and composed, a stark contrast from the persona who has often been criticized in new media
and the blogosphere as being too immature to take up political office.
2004, a story of a mother whose husband was a drug addict and did not provide for the family. She was desperate but unable We start off with an easy question to get a job to feed her three to break the ice - when did children. The family had not she graduate from NUS? The eaten a proper meal in days. question is straightforward but When the woman came for the life always seems to throw us session, she had only enough curveballs. She candidly shares money left to pay for transport about how she graduated a home. It was incidents like these semester late because she had to that influenced her decision to take a leave of absence in 2005 to get more involved in politics. “As take care of the family business volunteers, we could take them when her father became seriously across the road to have a meal at ill. Her father has since recovered. McDonalds. But the MP could do so much more,” she recalls. According to Tin, delaying her graduation was something she However, good intentions are had to do; family is everything. rarely sufficient as credentials for “I see myself as a family person a political career. Now that she is because that is where I get my an elected MP, Tin has much to social and emotional support prove. Despite the considerable from,” she says. challenges she faces, Tin seems unperturbed. It becomes clear that her parents play a central role in her life. She “I want to let my actions speak talks about her initial exposure for themselves,” she says. “Time to grassroots work and politics, will tell whether I have been an during her junior college days, effective MP.” when she helped her Chineseeducated father to translate. Indeed, many are eagerly waiting to see whether she can live up to Amidst media criticism, few the high standards expected of are aware that she has been a candidate from the dominant volunteering at the Meet-Theruling party. Tin is effectively People sessions (MPS) regularly multilingual, speaking fluent for the past seven years. It was Mandarin, English and a during these sessions that she smattering of dialects including really heard the sentiments on Hokkien and Cantonese, the ground. “I think the Meetalthough she humbly concedes The-People sessions are a very that there is always room to powerful platform to understand improve. Her linguistic talent, the difficulties and hardships particularly in the Mandarin people go through. There is no dialects, has endeared her to the one-size-fits-all policy. A policy significant elderly population in sets the broad framework to help the Macpherson area. “I enjoy the majority but there are many conversing and connecting with who fall through the gaps.” the elderly and I will continue to engage them. Sometimes, they She shares with us about a just need someone to talk to and particularly memorable case in hear their needs.”
OPINION
We wanted to find out more about other projects that she has been involved in since being elected into office. She talks about a project which she initiated with great vigour and enthusiasm, one that will see the PAP Community Foundation (PCF) kindergarten in Macpherson start enrichment classes that will make the curriculum more holistic for young children. Tin Pei Ling, the politician, certainly seems to have a lot on her plate at the moment but we also wanted to hear about Tin Pei Ling, the NUS student.
She majored in Psychology, but admits that she did consider going to the Science, Engineering and even Medicine faculties since she had been a Science student during her pre-tertiary days. What was her most memorable experience as a student? Tin noticeably hesitates for a second before giving us an answer. She has had an exciting tertiary life with many fond memories and it is difficult to pick one among the many. She recounts an episode when she
stood up for her fellow classmates because a professor had unfairly reprimanded the class for coming late for the tutorial and lacking discipline without first inquiring about the mitigating circumstances. It turned out that the module was a cross-faculty module held in Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS). Some of the students were from faculties like Science which is situated quite a distance away and many of the students were delayed by the heavy rain. We ask her whether she did well for the module and she laughs and replied that she did “OK” before quickly adding that she also had good experiences in NUS. Among the professors, she names Associate Professor Paulin Straughan, Vice-Dean at FASS, and Associate Professor Albert Teo, the Deputy Director of the University Scholars Programme (USP), as particularly helpful and understanding during her time in NUS, especially during the difficult period when she had to take a semester off from school. She seems pleased to hear that they are still teaching at NUS. We decide to press her further on what activities she was involved in while in NUS. It turns out that there is more to Tin than meets the eye. She reveals that, among other things, she was once the President of the now-defunct Society of Social Work and Psychology Students (SWAPS) and also won the Taipei City Cup Impromptu Chinese-English Speech Competition (Tertiary Category) in 2005.
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She fondly recalls spending three out of her four years in NUS being involved in USP’s Rag efforts. “Rag is a very meaningful event where people can bond together. I don’t really meet any of my friends in Rag anymore but those long hours we spent together practising for the performance certainly brings back wonderful memories.” Not satisfied with just letting us finish the interview at the Macpherson Community Club, Tin brought us to the nearby sand-pit playground which is shaped like a watermelon.“You don’t see playgrounds like this anymore,” she says with a tinge of nostalgia. Indeed, Macpherson is an estate with an old soul trapped in a society that wants to progress quickly. As we depart from the venue, Tin stops by to chat with two elderly men sitting on a nearby bench. Perhaps she belongs to the older, more traditional breed of politicians who are more concerned with grassroots issues than with grand national policies that can sometimes be completely unaligned to the ground sentiments; an old soul with youthful energy. Perhaps, that is exactly the kind of politician Macpherson needs.
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LIFESTYLE
11 THINGS TO DO DURING YOUR T
he first week of university is here. It also happens to be the time during which you get acquainted with your surroundings, familiar with your syllabi, begin classes, and make a lot of first impressions. Pretty busy yet oh-so-exciting! Get ready for a shock to your system - you will finally come head to head with all your expectations and trepidations! THE RIDGE speaks to students from around the world to find out how they survive the transition to university. Here’s a list of 11 things you must do during the first few weeks of tertiary student life that will help keep you afloat and make the start of the new journey smoother.
ACTUALLY GO TO which will help you achieve just CLASS that and manage your priorities Though this may seem like an obvious one, you’d be surprised how many students choose to skip the first few lectures, thinking the real lessons won’t begin until later. They’re wrong! NUS professors actually have a lecture on the first day of class and if you decide to skip the first week (as well as miss out on all the important notes you should have been taking!), you’ve already overlooked ten per cent of the lectures (we have approximately ten weeks of teaching excluding mid terms and holidays). Buy your books and read the syllabus sincerely before officially kick-starting university life.
MAKE A CALENDAR Once you’ve gone to all your classes and learned about the requirements of each, put all the major deadlines on a calendar. Presentations? Term papers? Exams? It’s important to know when all of them are (particularly in relation to each other) so that you can organize your time to complete each and every one of them. In addition, make a daily schedule allotting time between studies, socialising and cocurricular activities. Microsoft Outlook, where your NUS mail is set up as well, has a great calendar
AUTHOR ADITI ANAND + SKETCHES FAY CHIAM
so much better.
SET UP A MONTHLY BUDGET A simple monthly budget will keep you from overspending and make paying bills so much easier. Allocate yourself a weekly allowance and stick to it, all the while remembering that the little things add up fast. Late night cravings and ordering out are major culprits of overspending. Go to a grocery or convenience store and grab some snacks; it’s a lot cheaper than ordering in pizzas or the golden arches.
GET TO KNOW YOUR NEIGHBOURS The first week of university is when you’re likely to make the friends that will stick around for your entire four years (and perhaps long after that!). For those who will be staying in halls, take advantage of this opportunity to get friendly with your cluster and hall mates. Keep your room door open so that anyone can pop in and say hello, and do some meetand-greets yourself! Needless to say, a clean and interesting room makes a good first impression.
EAT HEALTHY Make sure you eat three meals a day along with plenty of water and juices to keep you hydrated in our island’s scorching heat. For hall residents, stock up on snacks to munch on late in the night as hall dinners finish off quite early. Skipping meals affects your health, energy levels, and eventually, your productivity at studies and so on. Now that you’re living on your own (and don’t have a fridge that magically restocks itself every week), you’re going to have to learn some cheap and easy meals to make! Ensure you stock up your fridge with food to last you a week or so.
SLEEP ADEQUATELY You should definitely get an average of six to eight hours of sleep per day. It’s really easy to stay up all night, whether it be partying or wasting time on the computer. Making sure you have a good night’s sleep is important because it ensures you can have a good start to the day and get things rolling. This is even more essential before exams - pulling off an all-nighter before one exam will most likely affect the rest adversely.
LIFESTYLE
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YOUR FIRST FEW WEEKS AT NUS LEARN ABOUT PREREQUISITES, MAJOR/MINOR REQUIREMENTS AND CORS
FIND OUT ABOUT CCAS AND SPORTS
SOCIALISE
Find a group you can relate Whether you like to to - whether spend your spare time it’s a group of people from your Whether you’ve chosen a major playing chess, taking photographs CCA or country, or even just a or not, you’ll need to learn what or sailing, NUS has a club that group from your major. Finding pre-requisites are necessary to matches your interests in all like-minded people is important declare a major in a particular probability. In addition, the especially at a large school like subject, and then what modules Sports and Recreation Centre NUS. It’s also important to learn are needed to complete that (SRC) has a variety of intramural to adjust to new people. Unlike major. Even in your first semester, sports such as karate, muay thai, your friends at school, friends at it’s never too early to start on your aerobics, etc. Intramural sports university will not be aware of prerequisites and requirements. teams are typically coed and your likes and limitations so voice Look out for helpful seniors or range in skill level and are a great out your suggestions, views and visit your course office to find way to stay fit and meet new issues if any. Also, unavoidable out about module requirements people. as it may seem, stay away from and bidding procedures. It is gossip as much as possible as you also very helpful to get to know wouldn’t want to be the object of your mentor (most people get flippant gossip either. professors assigned as mentors and others have seniors helping them out as mentors) as they will probably be advising you for your entire four years at university.
KNOW THE CAMPUS AND THE RESOURCES IT HAS TO OFFER Become well acquainted with the huge NUS campuses and its resources, such as the gym, the library, computer labs, printing/ scanning facilities, and so on. After all, you’d hate to find yourself writing a paper late at night, have your printer fail, and not know where to go in order to get everything printed in time for your 8:00 a.m. class.
BALANCE WORK AND PLAY Most importantly, all work and no play is a sure recipe for unhappiness, but so is all play and no work. It all catches up with you eventually. Learn to balance course work with a healthy social life. Try to set aside some alone time each day to just relax and gather your thoughts as well.
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LIFESTYLE
MAKING AN IMPRESSION IN I
n my final year of junior college (JC), my teacher told my class to study hard for our upcoming ‘A’ Levels so that we could get into a local university. There, she said, we would be given the liberty to manage our time as we liked, and studying would be a breeze. After a full two years of studies at NUS, I have realised that the statement is far from true. Students studying into the wee hours of the morning in the Central Library during the examination period? Check. Piles of readings for a module? Check. It all sounds very familiar to those of us who have been through school. That said, university life can be really fun when you have friends and lecturers who make your undergraduate life a little easier and more interesting. First impressions are made in 30 seconds, and since most students are likely to meet their peers and lecturers for the first time at their respective first lectures, it is pertinent that one makes a good impact on one’s peers and lecturers, who will be one’s trusty ally throughout the course of study at NUS.
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO ACT CONFIDENT AND SMILE: This is probably quite
‘commonsensical’, but you will be surprised at how easily people forget to smile when they are nervous! A warm smile disguises the jitters; the person sitting beside you is probably as nervous as you are. Being shy and avoiding eye contact would do
you no good because more often than not, the person whom you sit with in your first lecture will be your friend for the rest of the semester. Address the person by first name, and ask open-ended questions to break the ice. WEAR NEAT, SCHOOLAPPROPRIATE CLOTHES (check out our fashion story on pages 36-37): University
is a time to explore and try out different types and styles of clothing (especially for JC students), but keep your clubbing gear at home. You don’t want to be trotting up the countless flight of stairs in 5-inch heels when you are rushing from one tutorial room to another! Conversely, if you do not want to be labelled as sloppy or lazy by your peers, try to at least ensure that your clothes are not crumpled or reek of perspiration. PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO YOUR LECTURER AND EXHIBIT ENTHUSIASM: With
hundreds of students in the lecture theatre, it is difficult for lecturers to keep track of individual students. Paying attention to your lecturer saves you the embarrassment of not knowing what the lecturer is saying, should he or she happen to randomly pick you to answer a question in class. That’s definitely not something you want to be remembered for! SIT TOWARDS THE FRONT FEW ROWS OF THE LECTURE THEATRE: Show that you are
interested in learning! You want
AUTHOR HOW SHU HUI ELIZABETH + PHOTOGRAPH FLICKR.COM
to concentrate on the lecture and make a good impression on your peers and lecturer. But you know how it’s like everywhere - people who tend to sit at the first row of lectures sometimes develop a reputation for being a little too hardworking (note that this is only a general statement and does not apply to everyone). While this may not necessarily be a bad thing, it may not be helpful when you’re going to class with the sweet girl you just met at orientation. That said, sitting at the back will only get you distracted because of all the chatter going on. Somewhere down a third of the rows from
the front is a good gauge of where you should sit. No neck strain involved either! GO FOR LECTURES PREPARED WITH YOUR POWERPOINT NOTES, STATIONERY AND NOTEBOOK:
Going in empty handed will give both lecturers and students the impression that you are ill-prepared and not genuinely interested in learning. Moreover, with the vast content covered in a single lecture, it is not advisable to go in without the relevant materials and expecting to retain everything in your memory (not all of us are blessed with
LIFESTYLE
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ON IN YOUR FIRST LECTURE people when they gossip about someone else. The rumour mill will spin whether you participate or not, don’t get yourself stuck in it. SHOWING UP FOR LECTURES REALLY LATE: Most lecturers
would begin five to ten minutes into the stipulated lecture time, hence if you do not want your lecturer to think that you have no respect for their time, buy an alarm without the snooze button (that seemingly harmless button is more potent than you’d think!). If you are more than 20 minutes late because you missed the bus or for whatever other reason you may have cooked up, it is advisable to enter discreetly from the back door. If caught, look sincere and apologise for your tardiness. LOOKING AT YOUR PHONE, TEXT MESSAGING, THAN LOOKING AT THE BOARD:
Einstein’s brains you know). First lectures are particularly important because lecturers will brief students on the course structure, mode of assessment, and contacts of the tutors.
WHAT YOU SHOULD NOT DO BEING COCKY AND PRETENDING TO BE SOMEONE YOU ARE NOT:
It might be tempting to create a false personality for yourself since nobody knows your past, but people can usually smell a lie from a mile off. Not only will people call you a poser, you won’t
Most students think that text messaging in their laps or bags is really discreet, but from the front of the lecture theatre, it is more conspicuous than instant messaging on your laptop. It also frustrates the professor because they GOSSIPING ABOUT PEOPLE can see you do it, but might not WHOM YOU HAVE MET IN ORIENTATION CAMP: Don’t rely want to call you out to embarrass you. Hence you either train five entirely on your first impressions hours a day typing without lookof teachers and students, ing at your keypad, or you reply especially when describing to your texts during break or after them to someone else. You lecture. Something that warrants might end up being in the same your immediate attention can, of tutorial group as these people all semester, so try to get along course, be taken outside of the and refrain from spreading nasty lecture. Attending a lecture is like rumours. At the same time, do watching a movie - you wouldn’t not make enemies by appearing pick up a call in the cinema now, stand-offish and preaching to would you? feel good about yourself either. On top of that, how long do you think you can keep up that facade?
WHISPERING OR FALLING ASLEEP WHILE THE LECTURER IS TALKING: This is
even worse than not bringing your notes to class. Falling asleep is a direct signal to the lecturer that you think they are not worth the attention and that they are not interesting enough to keep you awake. This would definitely make the lecturer recognise you from the sea of faces. Whispering is almost as bad - not only does it distract other students, it also shows the lecturer that you either have no respect for what they want to say, or you find the content really boring and beneath you. Monotonous lectures are inevitable, so get an energy drink or some munchies to keep awake (but don’t go crackling your wrappers while you’re at it)!
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LIFESTYLE
NEW AGE BAL
BALLROOM DANCING HAS BEEN GIVEN A N THROUGH OUR VERY OWN NUS SOCIAL AND B
J
ust as I thought chivalry was dead, I came across a sport with rising popularity in NUS, namely, ballroom dancing. Gone are the days when ballroom dancing is associated with greying old men and women who have nothing better to do with
their lives. Instead, say hello to a new generation of fun and enthusiastic dancers whose lives revolve around the dance. THE RIDGE spoke to a few of the performers in our very own Viva Latinus, NUS Social and Ballroom Dancing Club’s performance team, which has
earned a sterling reputation in and out of the school. This group of dancers were spotted performing the reputed aunty dance – the Cha Cha – to Lady Gaga’s ‘Telephone’! Their sultry performances (with sizzling females and males and
hot costumes to boot!) have wowed the crowds at events ranging from the Singapore International Salsa Festival held in November last year (2010), to Para Empieza, an event held by the Singapore Management University (SMU). They’ve even flaunted their sleek moves at an Officer Cadet School (OCS) Commissioning Ball!
AUTHOR BRIDGET TAN + PHOTOGRAPHS FLICKR.COM
Ballroom dancing is made up of two types of dance: Latin and Standard. Latin consists of the more passionate dances (often involving a lot of hip rotation and come-hither looks), namely Rumba, Cha Cha, Samba, Jive and Paso Doble. None of these involve biting a stalk of rose
complex to start at this stage in life, Lim Rui Sheng, a secondyear business student, says (with a Paso Doble flourish), “IT’S BEST TO START LEARNING NOW. IF NOT, WHEN? YOU WILL NEVER REGRET IT, I KNOW I’VE NEVER REGRETTED IT!”
between one’s lips; the one which does is known as the Tango. Tango is a form of standard ballroom dance, which includes the romantic Waltz (think Disney), energetic Quickstep, Foxtrot and Viennese Waltz.
Come to think of it, we have the uncles and aunties doing it, who’s to say you can’t?
As for the belief that ballroom dancing is difficult and too
The dance captain of the club, Carin Lee, believes, “BALLROOM DANCING IS VERY DIFFERENT, VERY GLAMOROUS, CLASSY, ELEGANT AND
LIFESTYLE
33
E BALLROOM
N GIVEN A NEW LEASE OF LIFE AND FUNK OCIAL AND BALLROOM (SNB) DANCING CLUB.
CHALLENGING AT TIMES. IT FOCUSES ON A LOT OF BASICS WHICH CAN BE VERY WEARISOME, BUT DON’T GIVE UP TOO EASILY! WITH A GOOD FOUNDATION, YOUR DANCING WILL BE AMAZING.”
is the way to go. Tania Min, a third-year business student, agrees, “I LOST WEIGHT, AND I MET SO MANY NICE PEOPLE WHILE GETTING MY EXERCISES DONE. IN FACT, IT DOESN’T EVEN FEEL LIKE AN EXERCISE BECAUSE IT IS SO FUN!”
WALK OR DANCE ALONE AGAIN WITH BALLROOM DANCING.” After hearing that, I’m all prepped up with my 2.5-inch dance shoes and ready to dance the night away!
In fact, the third-year nursing student has also taken part in a few competitions, with numerous accolades under her belt.
Having tried the classes myself before, I couldn’t agree more.
the Cultural Activities Club (CAC). Founded in 1994, they have been offering elementary (and later on, intermediate) ballroom dancing classes to general student body.
One thing we noted: all the dancers sport a toned body underlining the fact that if one wants to lose weight the fast and fun way, ballroom dancing
Another third-year business student, Summer Lee, echoes the sentiment, saying “IT’S THERAPEUTIC; IT ACTUALLY HELPS WASH AWAY THE STRESSES OF LIFE. YOU WILL NEVER
NUS Social and Ballroom Dancing Club is a sub-club under
If you are interested in joining the courses, visit their website at www.nussnb.com or join in the fun with Viva Latinus at their blog site www.vivalatinus. blogspot.com.
BUS GUIDE
Fretting about which buses to take to and around campus? Can’t remember which shuttle bus goes where? Fear not! THE RIDGE presents a visual guide to the major bus services in and around the Kent Ridge Campus. Note: This map is not drawn to scale. Due to space constraints, some bus routes, roads, and landmarks have been omitted. For more information about other routes, please visit: http://www.nus.edu.sg/campusmap
LEGEND BUS STOP NAME
Bus stop and stop name Bus stop situated outside map and direction of travel THE RIDGE magazine stand
OFFICE OF ESTATE AND DEVT
University Health Centre STAFF CLUB
RAFFLES HALL
Raffles Kuok Hall Foundation House
YUSOF ISHAK HSE
Faculty of Engineering
Chinese Library
COMPUTER CENTRE
ARCHITECTURE
School of Design and Environment
Central Library
SDE
CENTRAL LIBRARY
School of Computing CARPARK 13 AT BIZ
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
OPP ARCHI
CLEMENTI ROAD
LT13
OPP LT13
KENT RIDGE TERMINAL
CLE ME NTI RO AD
Rid Res
Yusof Ishak House
ENGINEERING/ OPP BLK EA
THE JAPANESE SCHOOL
10 (Harbourfront MRT) 30, 143 (Harbourfront MRT) 95 (Buona Vista MRT) 96 (Clementi MRT)
AUTHOR YEO SHANG LONG & OFFICE OF ESTATE AND DEVELOPMENT GRAPHICS YEO SHANG LONG
OPP STAFF CLUB
OPP YUSOF ISHAK HSE
E3A
BUS ROUTES (ARROWS INDICATE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL)
A1 A2 B C D BTC1 (to Bukit Timah Campus) BTC1 (from Bukit Timah Campus)
TR R KEN ID LOWE
KE NT RID GE
AS7
DR IVE
N COM PUTIN G DR IVE
CORRECT AS AT JUNE 2011
AYER RAJAH EXPR ESSWAY
Multi-Purpose Sports Hall
Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music Music University Library Cultural Centre
OAD NTI R E M CLE
BUS GUIDE
OAD NTI R E M CLE
KENT RIDGE CAMPUS
96 TO AND FROM BTC1 FROM AYER RAJAH EXPRESSWAY CLEMENTI MRT BUKIT TIMAH CAMPUS
CLEMENTI ROAD
NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE
BUS 123 TO MRT
Keep an eye out for our new magazine stands at the University Town!
UNIVERSITY TOWN
CLEMENTI ROAD
34
Hon S Mem Libr
KENT RIDGE DRIVE
EUSOFF HALL
Eusoff Hall
NG ROAD PASIR PANJA
Temasek Hall
TEMASEK HALL
ROAD PASIR PANJANG
35
BUS GUIDE
agazine
AYER RAJAH EXPR ESSWAY
Sports and Recreation Centre
University Health Centre
Courts and Fields
AYER RAJAH EXPR ESSWAY
OPP NATIONAL UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL
SCHOOL OF COMPUTING 1
STAFF CLUB
R WE LO
OPP UNIVERSITY HALL
TR R KEN IDGE R LOWE OAD OPP STAFF CLUB
LT29
Ridge View Residences
Yusof Ishak House
USOF SHAK HSE
NOTE: Buses A1 and A2 will stop at Kent Ridge MRT when it opens 95 FROM BUONA (expected to be in 4th quarter of 2011) VISTA MRT
TRIDGE ROAD KEN
LOWER KENT RIDGE ROAD
University Hall
UNIVERSITY HALL
Faculty of Science
Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine
KENT RIDGE MRT LO WE RK EN TR IDG 95 TO BUONA ER NATIONAL VISTA MRT OA UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL D OPP KENT RIDGE MRT
National University Faculty of Hospital Dentistry
Science/Medical Library
nese brary
AYE R RA JAH EXP RES SWA Y
al ry
HOUSE 12
VE
NUS Business School
RK PRINCE GEORGE’S PA OPP HOUSE12
BIZ 2
Hon Sui Sen Memorial Library
HOUSE 7
PGP TERMINAL (buses A1 and A2 start and end here)
King Edward VII Hall
PR IN CE
RPARK 13 BIZ
GE OR GE ’S PA RK
AFT SCIENCE PARK DR
School f Computing
BTW HOUSE 14 AND 15
OPP HON SUI SEN MEMORIAL LIB
Prince George’s Park Residences
DGE DRIVE
Kent Ridge Sheares Hall Hall
10 TO AND FROM HARBOURFRONT MRT
HENG MUI KENG TERRACE
NG ROAD PASIR PANJA
AD SIR PANJANG RO OPP HENG MUI KENG TERRACE
30, 143 TO AND FROM HARBOURFRONT MRT
ROAD
Multi-Purpose Sports Hall
NORTH BUONA VISTA
EXPRESSWAY
BTC1 TO BUKIT TIMAH CAMPUS
36
LIFESTYLE
TRUE COOL FOR
THE RIDGE SPEAKS TO AVID FASHIONISTA AND NUS WHAT SHE THINKS ARE THE DO’S AND DON’TS CEN
FOR HIM
T
ops: “I LOVE GUYS IN POLO TEES THAT ARE THE RIGHT SIZE. IT SHOULD FIT PERFECTLY AT THE SHOULDERS AND BICEPS, MERELY GRAZE THE CHEST AND FALL LOOSELY AROUND THE RIB CAGE AND WAIST. BUT ONLY GUYS WITH GYMBUILT BODIES SHOULD WEAR THIS. SKINNY GUYS JUST LOOK LIKE NERDS IN POLO TEES,” the bubbly 25-year-old enthuses. Another alternative for the presentation days would be button-down shirts with the cuffs rolled up for that casual, sauntering, devil-may-care feel.
Bottoms: It’s a universal factwe like our men looking like men and not like malnourished little boys, or worse! Ditch the skinny jeans and don something a little less skintight
perhaps? For sultry weather, as an alternative to denims, Yun Kuan suggests “TAILORED OR CHECKERED BERMS, BUT THOSE ARE VERY ‘DANGEROUS’ - VERY FEW GUYS CARRY THEM OFF WITHOUT LOOKING LIKE THEY ARE WEARING BOXERS. THE BEST OPTION IS TO STICK WITH MONOTONE COLOURS.” Footwear: We all know the university staple, possibly cultivated from endless orientation camps, is flip flops. But when it comes to showing respect for your lecturers (and not to mention impressing the girls), flaunting your twinkle toes just
doesn’t cut it. With bermudas, loafers and boat shoes are very much in vogue. For presentations, Yun Kuan recommends, “GO ALL OUT WITH TAILORED PANTS AND BUSINESS
AUTHOR BRIDGET TAN + PHOTOGRAPH FLICKR.COM
SHOES. JEANS GO BEST WITH SNEAKERS. BUT DON’T TRY THE ‘ACT HIP HOP’ BULKY SKATER SHOE– YOU ARE NO LONGER A TEENAGE GUY! STICK TO SLIM CUT SNEAKERS WITH LEATHER ACCENTS. VERY GROWN UP.” Bags: We understand that there might be endless piles of lecture notes and not to mention that back-breaking laptop to lug around, so a bag is a must. But a tote? Not such a good idea. Yun Kuan says, “GUYS LOOK BEST WITH SLING BAGS, MESSENGER BAGS AND BACKPACKS. NOT THE NERDY KIND THOUGH. YOU HAVE TO PICK CAREFULLY.”
Big No-Nos! Windbreakers: There probably won’t be much strong winds raging in the lecture theatres so unless you actually are a biker, windbreakers are so last season. Yun Kuan quips, “THE NUS PULLOVER SWEATER IS QUITE NICE. IF YOU HAVE THE CERTAIN ‘POLISHED AND GROOMED’ LOOKS, YOU CAN EVEN WEAR CARDIGANS WITHOUT CONCEALING YOUR MASCULINITY.” Tees with rude messages: Attention grabbing, yes. But the bad boy is out and the clean cut male is in, so ditch the supposedly ‘witty’ tees, and don something a little more presentable. Your lecturers, and not to mention your peers who are trying to focus on their notes and not on what your T-shirt is screaming in their face, would appreciate it more.
LIFESTYLE
37
OL FOR SCHOOL
STA AND NUS ALUMNI, HO YUN KUAN TO FIND OUT DON’TS CENTRED AROUND FASHION IN SCHOOL.
FOR HER Tops: “IF IT’S TO GO WITH LEGGINGS THEN IT CAN JUST BE PLAIN, LOOSE, LONG AND COMFY TUNICS - PERFECT FOR LECTURE HALLS,” says Yun Kuan. For a more glitzy (yet comfortable) look, however, opt for a simple maxi-dress, one that doesn’t scream “I want attention!” As it is, maxi dresses are pretty dramatic, so try and tone it down by not adding to the drama (that is, unless you live for attention be it good or bad, in which case, go right ahead). Bottoms: Fortunately for us girls, we have a wide array of bottoms to choose from. The question is: why is everyone always wearing shorts? We get that shorts are probably the most breathable and cool choice in this humid climate but it’s almost as bad as people who wear flip-flops around campus. For a similarly flexible, yet more presentable option, try leggings instead. Some suggestions from Yun Kuan include, “LEGGINGS IN A VARIETY OF OPTIONSDARK WASH, LIGHT WASH, STONE WASH OR RIPPED; THE BLACK LEGGINGS WITH SHEER PANELS ARE PARTICULARLY NICE. THE MORE ADVENTUROUS CAN GO FOR SUPER
BRIGHT COLOURED OR PATTERNED LEGGINGS.” If you’re feeling more feminine, any skirt works fine, although be warned of the dreaded stairs if you are in a short, flowy piece.
you might like the chic clicking of heels on the million stairs). If you insist on heels, choose either a pair of wedges (not the towering chunks), or lower and more chunky heels which provide more support. For optimal comfort, you can’t go wrong with cute ballet flats, although Yun Kuan suggests that “COORDINATING THEM IN THE SAME COLOUR FAMILY AS THE LEGGINGS YOU ARE WEARING SO YOUR LEGS LOOK LONGER AND NOT CUT OFF”. Bags: With a whole plethora of quintessential carry-ons, ranging from make-up to that cute pencil with the big pink fluffy thing bouncing off it, small bags are practically impossible to achieve. As such, Yun Kuan recommends, “BIG TOTE BAGS ARE GOOD FOR SCHOOL BUT PLEASE DON’T USE RECYCLED BAGS AS TOTE BAGS. VINTAGE SATCHELS CAN ALSO BE USED FOR THE PREPPY LOOK.” For those 14-inch laptops, simple laptop sleeves would do. Do ensure that it is well padded, though (just in case you lose your grip when you realise you have a five-day-week which starts at 8:00 a.m. everyday).
Footwear: Let’s face it: mountainous flights of stairs and sexy pencil heels just don’t go (much as
Dressing tip! Get a full-length mirror and always look at the whole getup while getting dressed, complete with shoes and accessories. You will soon realise what works and what doesn’t for your proportion.
we look for
designers
D
because the touch of your hand can do magic
email DESIGNER RECRUITMENT - <YOUR NAME> and YOUR PORTFOLIO to theridge.headdesigner@nussu.org.sg
ENTERTAINMENT
39
BOOKREVIEW Title: The Man in the Rockefeller Suit Author: Mark Seal Reviewer: Divya Gundlapalli
D
Title: Persuasion Author: Jane Austen Reviewer: Retna Devi
W
ebonair! That’s the perfect word to describe the protagonist in The Man in the Rockefeller Suit. One of the latest entrants to Oprah’s Winfrey’s Summer Reading list, this book is deserving of its newfound status with its well-developed protagonist: a sophisticated, charming, twisted and crazy man, Clark Rockefeller.
Instead, he tries to explain why so many people fell for his scams and gets us to reflect on whether we too would fall prey to this conman.
This character is reminiscent of the character that Leonardo DiCaprio plays in the movie ‘Catch Me If You Can’ in which a serial imposter passes himself off as a doctor and lawyer, except that this is based on the real life of Clark Gehartsreiter. Journalist Mark Seal does a brilliant job out-lining the life of Gehartsreiter, from his crazy antics of kidnapping his own daughter, to conning his own wife who was a Harvard Business School Alumni, to his high-flying aristocratic life.
The protagonist, Anne, falls in love with a handsome, idealistic and easy-going young man but is persuaded to bring the blossoming relationship to an One issue that many critics raised end as her family considers him about this book was that it never a useless fellow without any explains the psychological reasons prospects. Eight years later, as as to why Gehartsreiter had fate would have it, their paths the need to create the fictional collide. Although still very much personas for himself. in love with each other, the chaotic combination of a man’s But even without this, I think injured pride, Anne’s father’s this book delivers on presenting superficial nature and other the story well and it is fascinating possible love interests lurking for readers who like white-collar about, it is likely that history will crimes or even for mystery lovers. repeat itself.
Don’t be mistaken here - Mark Seal does not aim to paint Gehartsreiter as a psychopath.
Seal interviewed almost 200 people for this book and developed this plot with all the drive and suspense of a thriller novel. He cleverly intertwines two plots to get down to the mystery of how an investigation comes into the picture and of course, the eventual arrest of Gehartsreiter.
hen we think of Jane Austen our first thought is Pride and Prejudice. It is undeniably one of the most wellknown literary works in history but it is also the most overrated, hence overshadowing Austen’s other brilliant novels especially Persuasion: a story of love of the truest kind, one that withstands the rough storms of time.
Austen’s portrayal of Anne is not that of the usual damsel
in distress her reader cannot empathise with but a calm and dependable pillar of strength for those around her which makes her a truly appealing heroine. This makes it even more heartwrenching as she watches the love of her life, Captain Wentworth, act coldly and indifferent towards her while suffering in silent and deep mortification. However, we can always count on Austen to give us a satisfying and heart warming ending and she does not fail to do so in Persuasion. In fact I feel she surpassed herself by effectively conveying the trepidation both parties feel as they slowly come to understand each other’s feelings, especially the way Austen redeemed Wentworth after he acts, in today’s terms, like a complete jerk. Despite being written in the Victorian age, the novel is still a page-turner and Austen’s style of writing makes it an easy and engaging read for the modern reader.
PHOTOGRAPH FIFTYBOOKSPROJECT.BLOGSPOT.COM, GREENWICHLIBRARY.ORG
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ENTERTAINMENT
Title: The Interpretation of Murder Author: Jed Rubenfeld Reviewer: Meera Nair
e
r Park with equal ease. He does tend to devote too much time to Freud, however, causing parts of the story to drag along after the riveting main plotline.
A
title cannot get any more appropriate as in the case of this novel, the first fictional work by legal academic Jed Rubenfeld. Set in New York in 1909, The Interpretation of Murder revolves around the murder of a beautiful debutante and the sadistic torture of another heiress, Nora Acton. Involved in the investigations are two psychoanalysts – the fictional Dr. Stratham Younger and the historical Dr. Sigmund Freud.
Nevertheless, once you have started on the mystery, the desire to know its conclusion will keep you glued to it. Whether the story will be memorable, though, is another question.
Between them, the murder gets twisted and turned into a discussion on the functioning of the human mind. Freudian ideas on sexual repression and the Oedipal Complex are abound in this novel, and while antiFreuds may find this novel to be distasteful at times, rest assured that it can still draw you in with its very compelling mystery. Rubenfeld, who is now better known as ‘Mr. Tiger Mother’ after his wife Amy Chua’s controversial novel Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother was published, writes very descriptively, bringing readers from the opium dens of Chinatown to the rich Gramercy PHOTOGRAPH TVBOOKCLUB.CO.UK, MEDIA.PHOTOBUCKET.COM//TDOGGSDCA
WHAT’S IN MY IPOD? G
ive Me Everything - Pitbull feat. Ne-Yo, Afrojack & Nayer
M
P
S
arty Rock Anthem LMFAO feat. Lauren Bennett & Goon Rock
oves Like Jagger Maroon 5 feat. Christina Aguilera
uper Bass - Nicki Minaj
G
ood Life - OneRepublic
L
ast Friday Night (T.G.I.F) Katy Perry
T
he Edge of Glory - Lady Gaga
D
irty Dancer - Enrique Iglesias feat. Usher
R
olling In The Deep - Adele
T
he Lazy Song - Bruno Mars
ENTERTAINMENT
41
BLOCKBUSTER SEASON W LIVES UP TO THE HYPE!
ith so many sequels on the table to choose from, this summer blockbuster season did not fall short on delivering. From action-packed battles to save humanity, the quirky eccentricities of characters we have fallen in love with, to the wrap-up of a series that captivated an entire generation, we pick our summer favourites!
S
ince the original X-Men grossed over $296 million in the box office, becoming the ninth highest grossing film in 2000, expectations were high for this latest venture into the world of mutants. ‘First Class’ examines the years before the X-Men came into being. The focal point is on the friendship between Xavier and Magneto. Hardened by his time spent in Nazi occupied Europe, Magneto is generally suspicious of the humans, and his Machiavellian ways to ensure mutant supremacy constantly clashes with Xavier’s more accepting stand on the human-mutant relationship. Together they face a common enemy in the form of Sebastian Shaw, played to great effect by Kevin Bacon. Overall, the film was a great mix of energy, entertainment and some really cool special effects. Rating: 4.5/5
T
here was something too familiar about ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides’. The plot of this installment lacked the punch of its predecessors. Gone were the creepy haunting effects of the skeletons that came to life under the moon light, replaced with… Mermaids. Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) crosses paths with a woman from his past (Penelope Cruz). Of course, he’s not sure if it’s love - or if she’s a ruthless con artist who is simply using him to find the fabled Fountain of Youth. When she forces him aboard the Queen Anne’s Revenge, the ship of the formidable pirate Blackbeard (Ian McShane), Jack finds himself in a dilemma: Who does he fear more? Blackbeard or the woman from his past? Not the best Pirates film ever made, but we’ll take it! Rating: 3.5/5
I
f you’ve been keeping up with your Transformers news you’d know two things by now: Megan Fox doesn’t enjoy her sex symbol status. Many were quick to lament her departure from the franchise but newcomer Rosie Hungtington-Whiteley did more than enough to keep fans happy. Let’s face it: acting was never Megan Fox’s strong point. As for the film, ‘Transformers: Dark of the Moon’ was bigger, better and more action-packed than its two predecessors. This time it’s personal as the Decepticons are hell-bent on wiping out humanity and it’s up to the Autobots, along with the motley crew of Sam Witwicky and his military buddies, to save earth. To put it short, the war in Cybertron spilled over onto earth. On hindsight, an X-Men-like prequel into Cybertron and what started the war in the first place does not sound like a bad idea, does it? Rating: 3.5/5
W
e knew it was coming. We just didn’t want to admit it. After growing up with Harry Potter and his adventures within Hogwarts, we weren’t quite ready to say goodbye. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, the magical war between good and evil reaches its climax. The story is darker and more serious than it has ever been, although there are comic moments at the most unexpected junctures. Emotions run high with the blossoming romance between couples, and the death of characters we know and love leaves us in tears. From the offset, the film had a lot to live up to, and while a few scenes were not as impressive, having deviated too much from the book, the film still has that quality of engrossing you completely. What is most memorable about this film, though, is that last look at the characters you have grown up with, and for true Potter fans, that will be perhaps one of the most heart-breaking moments ever. Rating: 5/5
AUTHORS SAHELI ROY CHOUDHURY, DIVYA GUNDLAPALLI, MEERA NAIR + PHOTOGRAPH VARIOUS SOURCES ON THE INTERNET
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ENTERTAINMENT
A CASE OF FALSE PROMISE? E
veryone has heard that familiar, somewhat overused jingle when you tune in to Channel 5. You know, the one that now comes in many different versions courtesy of Hardy Mirza, Sezairi Sezali and Sylvia Ratonel.
You hear it while you wait in anticipation for your favourite TV shows to begin, be it the hit drama ‘The Two of Us’ from the Philippines or the ever-popular American reality show ‘The Amazing Race’.
“Come home to 5...”
But wait.
Neither of these TV shows represent ‘home’. In fact, a rough count reveals that about 75 per cent of programmes on Channel 5 in a week do not originate in Singapore. Add to that the fact that Channel 5 is sourcing for materials from ever more unconventional locations – the recent ‘India: A Love Story’ is from Brazil - and you have a case where “Come home to 5” is actually a “Come travel with 5.” To be fair, Channel 5 is not entirely to blame for the disjunction between its motto and its programming. Like any television station, it is created to appeal to the masses and if the said masses want something exotic, then the station will have to provide it if it wants to retain its audience. The Singapore audience, as we all know, is a fastidious bunch. To begin, there is no onesize-fits-all for these viewers.
Then-Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong, back in 1999, contrasted the ‘heartlanders’ and the ‘cosmopolitans’ in Singapore, the former having a local outlook and the latter having an international outlook. Similar to that situation, Singapore now has TV heartlanders who firmly back local programmes, and TV cosmopolitans who eschew local programmes in favour of international ones. It gets more complicated than that, with viewers differing in their opinions as to what exactly is good television. Even among TV heartlanders, local programmes are often criticised. ‘Singapore Idol’, for instance, drew flak for the apparent lack of talent when compared to the programme’s original American version. When some viewers are satisfied, others will not be, as in the case of ‘Under One Roof ’ and ‘Phua Chu Kang’, both of which drew the ire of the Singapore government for their use of Singlish. To make the channel fully local would mean repeating programmes, but the Singapore audience generally dislikes this, with quips like “Come home to repeat” emerging to express their unhappiness. While repeats are seen as an appalling lack of originality on the part of the station, viewers are put out even more by original programmes that flaunt storylines not living up to their standards, like in the case of ‘Maggie & Me’ and ‘Achar’, both of which were
AUTHOR MEERA NAIR
ENTERTAINMENT
43
scrapped after just two seasons. The no-repeats rule is waived for old local favourites like ‘Growing Up’, but these re-runs themselves present a dilemma for the station. They cannot be aired during the prime-time slots as doing so will irk those who want newer material. Channel 5 is currently airing them during the lunch hour slot, but that time slot is likely to deter potential viewers. The flood of criticism against local shows and the aversion TV cosmopolitans have to local programmes can be stemmed by an improvement in quality and quantity. While the former is really a matter of personal taste, a greater quantity will at least ensure that there is something for everybody. However, that is not practical for Singapore due to local constraints. Singapore is not a media juggernaut pumping millions into that industry, which explains why we cannot produce local shows by the hundreds to satisfy every palate in the market. Unlike bigger countries, the small pool of local actors make it inevitable that faces will be repeated on almost every locally-produced TV show, making them seem repetitive and a tad dull. Also, concepts that appear to work for bigger countries will
be sure-fire flops in Singapore. Imagine, for a moment, ‘Survivor Singapore’. Stranding 20 Singaporeans in a remote location somewhere in Southeast Asia demands a financial investment that will be unlikely to justify the small viewership such a show will bring. Satisfying both TV heartlanders and cosmopolitans in face of limited resources means that Channel 5 has to use international programmes to do away with repeats and to add variety to the TV line-up. In fact, according to the station’s Facebook page, Channel 5 is merely described as a “Free-to-air English station”. Going by that alone, any kind of programming, regardless of origin, will be in line with the station’s purpose, as long as it is in English. Apart from glitches here and there, as in the airing of ‘India: A Love Story’ where opting for the original Portuguese will leave you at sea if you cannot understand the Mandarin and Malay subtitles, Channel 5 has mostly aired programmes that are tailored to the needs of an English-speaking audience. But what of its promise to bring viewers “home to 5”?
Well, the station does air shows like ‘The Noose’ and ‘The Pupil’ which draw in satisfied viewers. Even with the influx of international programmes, efforts are made to retain a local identity, with game shows like ‘We Are Singaporeans’ that feature local stars and that even take to the streets to demand participation. Until now, the station has always had a local touch somewhere, and this is likely to continue into the future. Channel 5 is also unique in that it does not really have a clearly-defined purpose (although this may raise a few eyebrows!). Netizens are often divided in their opinions as to whether the channel is meant for entertainment, sports or news. Consider that out of the seven free-to-air TV stations in Singapore, only three are English-based, and that Channel NewsAsia is the designated news channel while Okto is the kids’ cum arts channel. Channel 5, by
default, will be the one to pick up everything else. So despite appearances, Channel 5 does not make any false promises. Wherever you are in the world, if Channel 5 were to be aired, you will recognise it immediately for its eclectic mix of international and local shows; and for its mish-mash of sports, entertainment and news. That’s how you “Come home to 5”.
PHOTOGRAPH ENTERTAINMENT.XIN.MSN.COM, WWW.MEDIACORP.SG
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ENTERTAINMENT
CFA CONCERTS A
holistic education is important… because it encompasses everything. Not just your professional work… You need to enjoy the cultural part of living, the music and the arts… that will enrich your life. – Dr. Lee Suan Yew, Justice of Peace and Physician. One word many describe the education system in Singapore as is ‘well-rounded’. But with our rote-learning, it is difficult to break out of the scientific model and indulge in the arts once in a while. Living in a post-modern generation, us NUS students have a duty (to ourselves) to show the world that we do not need a Singaporean version of Gaga’s Bad Romance to make us go abuzz with excitement. Between Neanderthals and robots, we can be cultured folk too. The Welcome Back to Campus series by CFA is meant to give us a taste, the ExxonMobil Campus Concerts Opening Show: Timbre MusicFest on Campus will kick off the concerts with a night of revelry and music (as promised on the brochure). No doubt, that promise will be fulfilled by the awesome music playing that night by the Shagies who opened for the Timbre MusicFest last year.
AUTHOR NICOLE KANG
ENTERTAINMENT
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ERTS LINE-UP Don’t expect it to stop there. The campus concerts will end with the familiar tones of top alumni vocalists (Raw Earth, PennyLane, Reverie and Goodfellas). Interestingly, they are all from the classes between 2004-2006 and ex-residents of the Kent Ridge Hall of Residence. Coming together as KR Rockers Reunion – Classes of 04-06 – they will no doubt continue fuelling the vocal adrenaline. Not sure if you can spare the time but would still like to say that you
have at least heard classical music once in your life? Enjoy a literal buffet of performances from 16-17 August. From classical to symphonic music, surely you will not feel like a Neanderthal any more after an hour of eight performances! Of course, the performances are just meant to whet your appetite. If you catch yourself jiving to the music, you may want to bring your dancing shoes to the Dance Marathon (see calendar for more details). You never know, it may mark the start of your dance experience in NUS.
PHOTOGRAPH VARIOUS SOURCES ON THE INTERNET
46
ENTERTAINMENT
ASIAN FILMS WITH THAT M
ost of us watch Hollywood films, and perhaps the occasional film or two in our mother tongues. But we tend not to think of the other foreign films being produced. They seem to only come under our radar when they either get nominated for an Oscar or win at the Cannes Film Festival. A point to note here: I am not trying to compare these films to their English counterparts. These films definitely are special in their own right. But what took me by surprise was not only the acting or their record-breaking box office collections, but their plots! They really were interesting and engaged me at an entirely new level - they changed my ideas of Asian films. In this article, the movies I am
covering gave me a glimpse of the film culture of their respective countries of origin. Many people tend to have preconceived notions about a particular genre of films which could hold them back from watching these films. Take Bollywood for example. It is often known for its song and dance routines but I feel it is not simply about its dancing around trees. What better movie to illustrate this than ‘My Name Is Khan’. This film sees the heavyweights of the Bollywood industry, superstar Shah Rukh Khan and his co-star Kajol reunite on-screen. This movie is special as it combines the issues of Muslim identity with a classic Bollywood touch while capturing the very real changes we have seen in the 21st century. A little known fact about the film was that it was the
first Hindi film to be released in China in 30 years and one of only 20 foreign films that were allowed to be screened in China in 2010. By now, you’re probably wondering what this movie is all about, so here is a little teaser: Rizvan Khan (Shah Rukh Khan), a Muslim man from India, moves to San Francisco to live with his brother. Rizvan, who suffers from Asperger’s syndrome, falls in love with Mandira Rathod (Kajol), a Hindu woman who owns a hair salon in San Francisco. All is well until 9/11 changes their lives with a tragedy that sees Mandira and Rizvan split up. Here the movie moves into addressing the HinduMuslim divide post-9/11 and what Khan does to win her back. The movie is shot very tastefully by director, Karan Johar, who weaves political issues with romance and the ever-present song and dance sequences. This film stands out as it combines serious issues with humour, romance, a great script and incredible acting. I’d say that this is Shah Rukh Khan’s best performance to date. If nothing of what I’ve said catches your fancy, at least watch it for the fantastic pairing of a legendary on-screen couple Shah Rukh Khan and film, the first being Titanic. This Kajol, or to get a good glimpse film touches on the Japanese into the Bollywood industry. Occupation in an intriguing manner. I never thought of watching Taiwanese movies. There was The plot goes something like this: no particular reason but then an unnamed Japanese teacher came the trailer for ‘Cape No.7’, (Kousuke Atari) is dispatched to which blew my mind! One line the town of Hengchun, and falls from it really sticks in my mind: in love with a local girl who has a “60 Years, 7 Unsent letters.” Japanese name, Kojima Tomoko Released in 2008, it has become (Rachel Liang). After Japan Taiwan’s second-highest grossing surrenders, the teacher is forced
AUTHOR DIVYA GUNDLAPALLI
ENTERTAINMENT
47
THAT SOMETHING EXTRA! postman. Here, Aga comes across an undeliverable piece of mail and discovers that it has an old Japanese-style address Cape No. 7, Koshun District, Takao Prefecture which can no longer be found.
the film centres on her life in this new home and also a hidden love story.
A Vietnamese film that is not about war of reunification is bound to be met with disbelief. But, ‘The Scent of Green Papaya’ proves that Vietnam can succeed in other genres as well. The director of the film, Vietnamese/ French director Tran Anh Hung, shot this Oscar nominated film for Best Foreign language in 1993 with much elegance. It is really a work of art. Never mind that the film lost out to Spain’s ‘The Age of Beauty’ because in my view, this film had already won with its story!
My point here was to show that films in Asia should not be
I think that the film is unique because it can appeal to anyone. The visuals in the film are incredible and while the film After some more twists and is in Vietnamese, it’s like we turns, the letters find their way don’t need the English subtitles into the right hands but do we to comprehend the film. The see a happy ending? I think you stunning cinematography should watch the film to find out. transports you to another world, I was drawn to the movie because and your comprehension will it had an unusual combination of come in experiencing the film, rock bands, letters and a historical rather than in understanding the event, all of which made this film dialogue. This film truly deserved an epic love story. its 1993 Camera d’Or Award.
to return home. On his trip, he pens seven love letters to express his regret for leaving Kojima Tomoko, who originally planned to elope with him to Japan. More than 60 years after the teacher left Kojima Tomoko, Aga (Van Fan), a struggling young rock band singer in Taipei returns to his hometown, Hengchun. Aga’s step father arranges for him to take on the role of a
victims to stereotypes because they do offer many unique sights and perspectives to offer. Films are universal and you can see that if you give them a chance. They do have that something extra - a connection of a different kind. So why not put aside those preconceived notions and give Asian films a watch! Who knows, you might just find yourself surprised and enamoured.
The simple story about a ten-yearold girl, Mui ( Lu Man San) who is sent to work as a servant for a rich merchant family, will not fail to engage. We are immersed in a world where we begin to see things as Mui does: with great curiosity we encounter new things, and we begin to feel strangely relaxed, looking at Mui’s calm demeanour. Ten years later, we see Mui working for a new family, as her old family falls on hard times. The rest of PHOTOGRAPH VARIOUS SOURCES ON THE INTERNET
48
SPORTS
TALENT SPORTING T
eamNUS, contrary to popular notion of a niche group of athletes, is actually a large body managing almost all the sports activities on campus. TeamNUS comprises both the core group of athletes representing the school, as well as the various recreational sport teams in NUS, and aims to foster a cohesive and vibrant NUS community. There are several ways to become part of TeamNUS. In fact, anyone and everyone can be part of TeamNUS! There are currently 39 varsity
sports teams, which are constantly on the lookout for talented athletes. If you have an overwhelming passion and talent for a sport, and would like to represent the school, you are always welcome to come down for the respective trials and subsequent selections starting in August 2011. TeamNUS competes in both local and overseas competitions. The two most popular local competitions are the Singapore University Games (SUniG) and the Inter-Varsity-Polytechnic Games (IVP). The IVP is
AUTHORS PRATEEK SINHA, TAN HERNG YIH + PHOTOGRAPH NUS
normally held over two semesters, with each sport hosted by different schools. Last year, NUS topped the points table with a medal tally of eight golds, three silvers and two bronzes.
during September and October. Similar to IVP, each sport will be hosted by a particular University each time.
Since 2006, NUS has retained the championship title of SUniG, The Singapore University Games with NTU trailing close behind. (SUniG) was conceptualised However, in SUniG 2010-11, in 2006 as a competition for NTU overtook us to secure the university students to get together first place, leaving NUS as the to foster goodwill and friendship runners-up. through sports. Students representing the four local As far as overseas competitions Universities - NUS, NTU, SMU are concerned, NUS and and SIM - represent their schools the three other mentioned at this annual event. SUniG is universities come together to held during the first semester represent Singapore Universities
SPORTS
49
S/N Varsity Sport S/N Varsity Sport S/N Varsity Sport S/N Varsity Sport 1 Archery 11 Cricket 21 Kendo 31 Swimming 2 Aquathlon 12 Cross Country 22 Lifesaving 32 Table Tennis 3 Badminton 13 Cue Sports 23 Netball 33 Taekwondo 4 Basketball 14 Dragon Boat 24 Rugby 34 Tennis 5 Bowling 15 Fencing 25 Sepak Takraw 35 Touch Rugby 6 Bridge 16 Floorball 26 Shooting 36 Track & Field 7 Canoeing 17 Handball 27 Silat 37 Volleyball 8 Canoe Polo 18 International Chess 28 Soccer 38 Water Polo 9 Cheerleading 19 Judo 29 Softball 39 Wushu 10 Climbing 20 Karate 30 Squash at the: • Bi-annual World University Games (WUG) which will be held in August 2011 at Shenzhen, China, and the • Bi –annual ASEAN University Games (AUG) held in Changmai, Thailand, in December 2011 For more information, visit http://www.nus.edu.sg/osa/ sports/teamnus/activities/teams. html
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SPORTS
SUMMER SW French Open Men’s finals
W
orld number one, Rafael Nadal, successfully defended his French Open title at the hallowed courts of Roland Garros in Paris against formidable opponent and former world number one, Roger Federer. For Nadal, this achievement ranks him alongside tennis legends such as Bjorn Borg, who has also capped a remarkable six French Open titles during the course of his career. After a scintillating performance against second seed Novak Djokovic, the Swiss-born Roger Federer sent the No. 1 ranked Serbian packing home to set himself up for a showdown
against his long-time tormentor, Nadal, with ambitions of exorcising the demons that have kept him at bay from emerging victorious in a one-on-one battle on clay courts. The Swiss looked set to avenge past defeats against the Spaniard as he raced to a 3-0 lead, breaking his opponent’s serve in the first set before eventually extending the lead to 5-2. Utilising the serve-and-volley strategy appropriately and effectively, Federer looked on course to wrest the title away from Nadal. However, Nadal “dug deep” to claw his way back into the game, producing spectacular shots and snatching away the first set before continuing his fine run
into the second. Just as the match looked ominously poised to finish with the Spaniard triumphant yet again, a resurgent Federer retaliated with stiff resistance to fend off the Nadal armada, clinching the third set in the process. Nevertheless, Federer’s comeback failed to take full flight, succumbing to Nadal’s consistency on a day where unforced errors proved pivotal in swinging the outcome of the championship in Nadal’s favour. At Championship Point, a fatigued Federer launched a forehand shot over Nadal’s baseline, prompting the superhuman latter to drop to his knees and revel in a well-deserved victory. Dubbed the modern day ‘King of Clay’, Nadal once again emerged the victor after an excruciating 3 hours and 50 minutes winning by 7-5, 7-6 (3), 5-7, 6-1.
Women’s finals In the women’s finals, Li Na defeated Francesca Schiavone to become China’s first tennis player to claim a Grand Slam title. The sixth seed from China held her nerve in a tense battle with the fifth-seeded Italian, overcoming her opponent in straight sets 6-4, 7-6 (7-0). Despite chalking up more errors than Schiavone, Li hit more than twice the number AUTHOR MUHAMMAD SYARIFUDDIN
of winners as her contender, effectively sealing the victory in less than two hours. Li clinching the French Open title marks a milestone for China as the Asian powerhouse continues to carve out its success in the international sporting arena. Being the pioneering player from this part of the world to capture a Grand Slam in tennis is a remarkable feat in itself, thus paving the way for other athletes to emulate her achievements in the future. Perhaps down the road, the Asian tennis fans will be able to witness prolific athletes from the region competing at the highest levels in professional tennis.
SPORTS
51
ER SWINGS Wimbledon 2011 Men’s finals In a stunning men’s finals set up between Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, the latter managed to usurp Nadal to become the new world number one. The 24-yearold Serbian, with his country’s President watching from the royal box, won with sets of 6-4, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3; a truly amazing feat, considering Djokovic has been trailing Nadal in head to heads 16-11. It is also the first time in nearly seven years that a player other than Nadal or Federer has been ranked world number one. Djokovic opened the game with a pair of cracking forehand winners followed by an ace. The message sent to Nadal was clear - he
wanted the title badly. Djokovic played a smart game, serving to the widest corners and drawing Nadal forward with drop shots. He remained untouchable on the service front, carrying on his winning streak for the first two sets.
Djokovic three break points. Another error on the backhand and Nadal was broken, leaving Djokovic to become the first Serbian to claim the Wimbledon title.
Looking quite the worried man, Nadal countered with full force after reaching his first break point in the third set to win the game point 6-1.
On the ladies courts, Maria Sharapova reached her first Wimbledon finals since 2004. Sidelined since 2008 due to a shoulder injury, this was indeed a great step for her. Though she was tipped to be the favourite to win the title, this was not enough to stop an inspired 21-year-old Petra Kvitova who won 6-3, 6-4 in an hour and 25 minutes to become the third Czech woman and the youngest champion to lift
However, the typical Nadal fightback did not last; he subsequently double faulted on his serves for the first time in the entire match, then sent a cross-court forehand wide before netting a forehand and handing
Women’s finals
the Venus Rosewater Dish since Sharapova in 2004 at the age of 17. Initially faltering on her opening game with a pair of forehand errors, Kvitova managed to strike back calmly and bravely. Capitalising on Sharapova’s unforced errors and serving hard, Kvitova managed to clinch the title, with her heroes - nine-time champion Martina Navratilova and 1998 winner Jana Novtona watching from the sidelines.
PHOTOGRAPH VARIOUS SOURCES ON THE INTERNET
52
SPORTS
HyperJive
F
or those who might not be able to find the Student’s Sports Club office too easily - we are located at the second level of the Sports and Recreation Center (SRC) by the squash courts. The National University of Singapore Students’ Sports Club is a student organisation with a central management committee of 24 members who oversee 27 member clubs. The management committee represents the staff authority of all the various member clubs and provides administrative, financial and logistical support to the member clubs. They act as the link between these member clubs consisting of the general NUS population with the NUS Office of Student Affairs, the Sports & Recreation Centre as well as with external sporting organisations. They are also the approving authority for sporting interest
GET SPORTY, NU groups that are keen to attain member club status and join the official Sports Club fraternity.
4. Golf
23. Kendo
5. Mountaineering
24. Muay Thai
Have you always wanted to play a particular sport purely out of interest for it, without being too keen on the competitive aspect of it? Look no further - you can always join the recreational teams in NUS, and what better way to make new friends while dabbling in a sport you never had opportunity to indulge in!
6. Netball
25. Nam Wah Pai
7. Skating
26. Taekwondo
8. Volleyball
27. Wushu
Water Sports
Apart from these recreational sports teams, the Student Sports Clubs keep the academic year packed with active sporting activities, some of which are highlighted
The NUS Students Sports Club consists of 27 recreational sports teams:
Land Sports
9. Canoeing 10. Diving 11. Lifesaving 12. Windsurfing
Indoor Sports 1. Air Weapon 2. Archery 3. Basketball
13. Aerobics 14. Climbing 15. Cue Sports 16. Fencing 17. Health & Fitness 18. Intellectual Games
Martial Arts 19. Aikido 20. Capoeira 21. Judo 22. Karate
AUTHOR PRATEEK SINHA, TAN HERNG YIH + PHOTOGRAPH NUS STUDENTS’ SPORTS CLUB
1. Aerobics - HyperJive 2. Air Weapons - NUS Invitational Shoot 3. Air Weapons - Annual Interfaculty Shoot 4. Archery - Archery Indoor 5. Basketball - 3on3 Competition 6. Climbing - Boulderactive 7. Canoeing - Legs & Paddles 8. Canoeing - North Island Expedition 9. Cue Sports - Internal 9-ball competition 10. Cue Sports - NUS 8 Ball Carnival 11. Cue Sports - NUS Snooker Open
SPORTS
Legs & Paddles
TY, NUS! 12. Fencing - Fencing Challenge
19. Skating - Skate Rush
13. Golf - NUS Charity Open
20. ULC - Lifesaving 123 Course ULC - Mass Swim
14. Health & Fitness - Muscle & Fitness War 15. Intellectual Games - NUS Intellectual Games Open 16. Kendo - Youth Kendo Tournament 17. Netball - Netballuxion 18. Netball - Internal Competition
Windsurf
21. Windsurfing - NUS Internal Race 22. Windsurfing - Windsurfing Championships We conduct try out sessions for all incoming freshmen and all are welcome to try! To find out more about each sports sub club, go to http://www.nussportsclub.org/ memberclub.php
Boulderactive
Biathalon
Canoeing
Air Weapons
53
54
SPORTS
You can also get more information from these websites: http://www.nussportsclub.org/ https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/NUS-Students-SportsClub/302112095550
Archery
RUNNUS
Dive
Sport Camp
Muscle & Fitness War
Mountaineering
Golf
Kendo
31st MC
SPORTS
55
BOATS, BALLS AND PADDLES C
anoe polo is definitely not your conventional sport. An exhilarating combination of kayaking and basketball, this fast-paced game is a thrill to watch, and even more so to play. Curious? This ball sport played on water, often referred to as kayak polo, takes place between two teams, each in a kayak and comprising of five players. The concept is largely along the same lines of your football or basketball games. The NUS Institute-VarsityPolytechnic (IVP) team is currently undergoing intensive training, and will be battling it out against the best in Singapore for a medal in the annual National Canoe Polo
Championships from July 30 to 31 and August 6 to 7, 2011 at the Pandan Reservoir. Do come down to show your support for the team whilst enjoying the invigorating spectacle of an intense competition! If you are interested to try out the sport for yourself, do come down for our Canoe Polo clinics held during the first two weeks of school; no prior experience is required. For more information on these clinics, check out our recruitment page on Facebook: NUS Canoe Polo - Get Addicted. Alternatively, you may contact Tak (boys’ captain) at 97517191 or Siti (girls’ captain) at 90044145.
AUTHOR SITI WAJIHAH ZAR’AN + PHOTOGRAPHER TAN YOU CAI
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WIRED
MOBILE MULTIPL M
ove over, board games! The new form of gaming socialisation is happening right on your fingertips - literally. With the Apple iDevices (the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad) springing up in the palms of almost nine trillion people (number slightly exaggerated) on campus, and games being developed to be cross-platform (i.e. an Android phone can connect and play with an iPhone), there is no excuse not to bond over a quick game during break times while hunched over your mobile devices.
Worms 2: Armageddon (iDevices). US$4.99
Monopoly for iPad (iPad). US$9.99
I
I
With the return of favourites like the Homing Pigeon and The Holy Hand Grenade, Armageddon really sticks to the success of its past, and you can’t fault them for it. Playing it on a touchscreen can get a little hard, considering that it was tricky to perform precise manoeuvres even with a mouse and keyboard. That said, it remains a crowd favourite, and despite what people may think, actual friendship can blossom when people plot to destroy each other’s tiny cartoon worms.
One warning though: remember those 6-hour long games that drag on until someone gets fed up and throws the board on the floor, thereby ending the game and reminding us about the frailty of the housing market (those plastic houses get flattened surprisingly easily)? If you’re hosting it on your iPad, just hope that your buddies don’t have such rage issues, otherwise you’ll be looking at the mess of glass and plastic that once formed your beloved tablet.
t’s Worms! On your portable iDevice! Multiplayer PC gamers of old will remember the wistful days of launching sheep out of cannons or the satisfying sound a baseball bat makes when it smashes a worm over the edge of a cliff and into the water. Worms 2 is a port of the old classic, where players control a group of worms and attempt to decimate their opponent’s worms in the most brutal and entertaining manner possible.
And anyway, you really can’t go wrong with a game that has “Intense Cartoon Violence” under its rating. It’s adorable how much punishment these worms can take under your hands.
AUTHOR LESTER HIO + PHOTOGRAPH IPADMODO.COM, MOBYWARE.RU
t’s the world’s most enduring board game, and now you can inflict the pleasures of slowly bleeding the cash out of someone with Monopoly for the iPad! This is perfect for those long boring afternoons while waiting for your classes to start. Business and economics majors will also get a kick out of how the game models the beauty of capitalism, evident by how people, when considering their own gains, will work together to profit from that one poor victim!
WIRED
57
LTIPLAYER GAMES
Words With Friends (cross-platform). US$2.99 for iDevices, Free for Android
W
ords With Friends is, for all intents and purposes, just a Scrabble clone. The most important thing about Words With Friends is that it is not OS-specific. One of the rare titles that support cross-platform play, Words With Friends allows for iPhone to Android play, and is one title that you can legitimately pass off as being educational (knowing how to spell ‘xylene’ could make the difference between an A or A+). It also makes for great interactivity for those who don’t have an OS which supports Word With Friends. Being turn-based, you can choose to swap your phone around instead while each player takes his or her turn. Save this for sneaky lecture passes, and bonus points if you can throw down a word that’s currently on the Powerpoint screen.
2 Player Reactor/ 4 Player Reactor (Android). 2 player is free, S$3.99 for 4 player
D
o you like twitchy, fast-paced competitive games? The Reactor games include a series of games that test the reflexes of you and your friends. It has a simple premise, but its execution makes it lot of fun. 2 Player Reactor doesn’t require multiple phones, as the two players get half the screen. It is essentially a game of mental agility and twitchy reflexes - to be the first to identify the goal and react faster than your opponent. For example, one portion has you tapping your side of the screen when the colour of a word matches the word itself. It’s addictive, and a fun way to pass time during breaks or (shhh!) during boring lectures. And if math taught us anything, it’s that when you double something, the fun increases twofold as well, and sometimes even exponentially! 4 Player Reactor is louder, more chaotic, and anywhere from twice to four times as fun. Warning: losing at this game may make one rage at the inflexibility of one’s fingers as well as to begin to engage in self-doubt about one’s reflexes.
PHOTOGRAPH MEDIA.PSNSTORES.COM, TIPB.COM
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WIRED
200 BID POINTS
200 BID POINTS
MODULE BIDDING AN INTRODUCTION
(CORS), is used to allocate many modules in NUS. At the start of every semester, you will be given a number of points to bid for modules. Much like how you would bid with money in an auction, you will have to spend your points wisely to secure the modules you want. In this short guide, THE RIDGE introduces the intricacies of the bidding process to help you secure your desired modules.
Bidding Accounts
Bidding Rounds and Groups
Programme account is used for your faculty/major modules* MAJ FA OR OR MODCULTY ULES *
Module bidding is conducted in a series of rounds, which restrict when you can bid for certain types of modules. In general, rounds rounds 2A, B and C are for getting university level requirements and unrestricted electives:
PROGRAMME ACCOUNT
*Check with your faculty for
Rounds 1A and 1B Seniors can bid for their major modules from this round. Round 1C Freshmen start bidding for their major modules in
General account for unrestricted electives or university level requirements, that is, General Education Modules (GEMs), Singapore Studies (SS) Modules and Breadth Modules UNIV ER REQ LEVELSITY UNR UIREM E E ELECSTRICT NT/ TIVE ED S
separate group from the seniors. Rounds 2A and 2B Seniors and freshmen can start bidding for their university level requirements or unrestricted electives from this round. Seniors bidding for their major modules will not enjoy any more protection in this round, but freshmen will continue to be protected. Round 3 All protection is removed, that is, all bidding groups are merged in this round.
GENERAL ACCOUNT
facing page for URL). Note that modules can sometimes be crossEach semester, a certain number of points will be credited to these two accounts, depending on which faculty you are from. After the bidding, any unused points will be carried over to the next semester.
the right requirement, check the module type code against the chart on the CORS website.
WIRED
59
How Bidding Works In each bidding round, students will place bids for their desired modules. Each bidding round will start with open bidding (when you can see bidding statistics like the highest and lowest bids) and will end with closed bidding (when no bidding statistics are available). In the course of the round, you can change or withdraw your bid at any time, but take note that this will alter the timestamp for your bid,
which might affect your chances of getting the module (see below). At the end of the round, the system will decide which students get the module based on their bids. If you are successful in your bid, some points will be deducted from your account. The number of points deducted depends on whether or not there are more bidders than the quota for the module (see below).
If the number of bidders is more than the module quota, then all successful bidders will pay the lowest successful bid.
MC1101
Module Quota: 3
Student A Student B Student C Student D bids bids bids bids 350 pts 200 pts 75 pts 30 pts
Student A, B and C get the module at 75 pts each (the lowest successful bid)
If the number of bidders is less than or equal to the module quota, then all bidders will pay only 1 point for the module,
Useful Websites Official CORS Website http://www.cors.nus.edu.sg
regardless of their original bid.
Log in here to place your bid during the bidding rounds. This site also contains useful information like the bidding schedule, reports from current rounds, statistics from past years, and a guide to the module bidding and tutorial balloting.
MC1102
Module Quota: 3
Student D does not get module,no pts deducted
Student A Student B Student C bids bids bids 300 pts 190 pts 80 pts
Student A, B and C get the module at 1 pt each
If there is a tie between the two bidders with the lowest successful bid, then the bidder who placed the bid earlier will get the module.
Module Review http://www.module-review.com
An unofficial site that lists student reviews of modules.
MC1103
Module Quota: 1
Student A bids 200 pts at 11:00am
Student B bids 200 pts at 11:30am
Student A Student B gets does not get module module,no pts at 200 pts deducted
AUTHOR YEO SHANG LONG, SHANMUGAM MPL + GRAPHICS YEO SHANG LONG
60
WIRED
STRENGTHEN YOUR TE D
ear freshmen, welcome to NUS!
The next four years of your life will shape how you work and organize yourself when you venture out into the working world! To state the obvious, university offers a different experience from your junior college or polytechnic. You will have lots of projects, group-work, assignments and presentations. And we cannot neglect the importance of proper hardware and software in helping you produce good quality submissions and in enhancing your collaborative experience with your peers. You will definitely need a laptop for your daily needs and for accessing study material from IVLE. With regards to current hardware configurations of laptops, there is a plethora of options. Here is a very brief overview of hardware configurations that you should consider (unless you are a School of Computing student, in which
Eee PC 1215B is a good choice. It features a 1.6GHz dual core processor with a decent graphic card.
2. iPad or Android tablets are
also good options for portability. case you will need more)!
HARDWARE 1. A netbook is a good option
if you are looking for something really portable. A simple configuration that you could look for is: 250 - 500 GB of Hard Disk space 1GB - 2GB of RAM Windows 7 Home Basic or Ubuntu Linux Intel Atom Processor Our top picks: Macbook Air - Thin, lightweight (but heavy on your pocket). This is perfect for speed and mobility lovers. Samsung NF310 is also a decent netbook featuring a dual core Atom processor. For those who are looking for something between a netbook and an ultraportable laptop which is easy on their pockets, the Asus
AUTHOR ANGAD SINGH + PHOTOGRAPH VARIOUS SOURCES ON THE INTERNET
The trend in tablet specifications lately is: iPad 2 features a much faster dual core processor with nine times the graphics performance as compared to the iPad 1. The screen quality and light weight makes it perfect for lecture notes. There are many apps on the Apple app store that can help you with taking notes and managing your classes. Look for “inClass” app. There is a plethora of Android tablets out there, but our Wired fave is the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. It features a fast processor. The best thing about the Android tablets is the fast-growing Android market.
3. For average gaming and
programming: 500 GB or more Hard Disk space 4GB or more RAM Windows 7 Professional, Mac OS, Ubunut Linux Intel i5 or i7 processor Examples: Macbook Pro range - It features a range of laptops ranging from 13” to 17” with i3, i5 or i7 processors. It totally depends on your need to decide the configuration that will be the best for you. If you think you will need to run some Virtual Machines (for SoC students), get an 8GB RAM Macbook with an i7 Processor. If you just need to make presentations and reports, get the Macbook Pro 13” laptop. Apart from the Apple range, other good laptops are the Dell XPS range and the HP Pavilion range. Wired Tip #1: Look out for deals and student discounts for laptops at the NUS IT Co-op.
WIRED
UR TECH ARSENAL! Evernote
Let’s look at some of the software tools that you will find useful in your day to day activities while struggling between projects, lecture notes and submissions. For brevity and an overall view, only the features and benefits will be discussed. Wired Tip #2 : Google is your best friend. Search the web for the details on how exactly to set up the tools and get to speed with them.
SOFTWARE Google Chrome Chrome is the web browser from Google. It is much faster than Internet Explorer and works great on those old computers as well. It has a built-in PDF viewer for your lecture notes and lots of useful extensions such as Web of Trust, which tells you which websites are safe to visit and don’t harm your computer.
Dropbox You are working on your project with your friends and you don’t know which the latest file is. Fret not, Dropbox comes to your rescue. It is an online storage platform - and it stays just as a folder in your computer. With Dropbox, the contents of the folder are synced with your project mates and everybody has the same updated copy. Somebody deleted a page, or made a change to the cover page of your assignment? No problem. Dropbox maintains a copy of all previous versions of the files and you can easily revert to your file to its earlier state. Wired Tip #3: Register on dropbox with your NUS student email. You get 500MB of extra space per referral. https://www. dropbox.com/edu
While studying and researching online, you inadvertently scour hundreds of Wikipedia pages and other university notes for any extra bits of information. What if you could collect all this information somewhere, where is easy to access and share? Evernote is the tool for you. Copy the information and save your notes in Evernote and it will sync across all your computers and even your Android or iPhone.
Gmail filters, mail forwarding Gmail is a life-saver email in NUS. It gives you over 7GB of space and has powerful filters to manage your emails. Firstly, set up mail forwarding from your NUS email to Gmail. And whenever you are working on some project with your friends, or working for a CCA, you are bound to receive loads of important emails. Go ahead & create Filters so that you can better organize your mailbox.
Wired Tip #4: Email Redirect can be found to the right of the login screen at https://exchange.nus.edu. sg/
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VLC media player VLC media player is THE media player for all university students. From playing run-ofthe-mill video files to running obscure audio formats, this is the ‘lightsaber’ of all the media players out there. Search for ‘VLC Media player’ on Google for the latest version.
LibreOffice If you are looking for a replacement for Microsoft Office, then you should consider LibreOffice. It is a free and opensource software and works great with Microsoft Office file formats as well.
Wired Tip #5: Fancy, flashy presentations don’t always work for conveying information. Try keeping it clean and simple instead.
Gimp
Google Calendar
If you are looking for a quick and easier-to-use alternative to Adobe Photoshop, give Gimp a try. It is a free and open-source software and is widely used. Good thing is that it is simple to understand, easy to pick up, yet just as powerful. From making informative presentations to touching up profile pictures on your various social media platforms, Gimp is a powerful tool at your disposal.
Google Calendar is one of the finest things I personally recommend for a university student. Set up your Google Calendar with your timetable at the start of the semester and update it with your deadlines frequently. You can also set up a calendar to send you free SMS updates half an hour before your lecture or a day before your deadline.
Foxit Reader Foxit PDF Reader is a fast, lightweight and secure PDF reader. It is much faster than Adobe PDF Reader, especially for netbooks and old machines. PDF documents will be hogging your computer for the next four years so a lightweight and neat PDF reader is a must.
Hope you find these tools useful in organizing your day to day activity. If you need help at any point while using the tools, or if you have a great tip, feel free to contact the author at angad@angad.sg
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Windows Phone 7 Mango
iOS 5
Windows 8
Wii U
Microsoft is going to push out an important update for the relatively new Windows Phone 7 mobile operating system (OS). The update, code-named Mango, is expected to be released in the autumn, and boasts more than 500 new features. Mango is designed around three themes, namely Application, Web and Communication. With many new features not found in other mobile platforms, such as Live Messenger integration, Twitter integration (Facebook is already integrated in the first release of Windows Phone 7), Local Scout, Internet Explorer 9 and many more, Mango is a highly-anticipated update that is expected to revolutionise mobile operating systems everywhere.
Apple is going to build on its already impressive iOS - by rolling out a version 5. With the great sales of iPhone, iPad and iPod, Apple is going to add more than 200 features to iOS to cater to the ever growing needs of the consumer. Together with iOS 5, Apple is also releasing iCloud, and it seems Apple is paying a lot of attention to this new service that will be replacing the old MobileMe. iCloud will be integrated into iOS, and Apple fans will then be able to experience a series of new features that is offered by iCloud.
While many are already satisfied with Windows 7, Microsoft has set a new goal for their next generation OS - Windows 8. The goal for Windows 8 is to be an all-in-one OS that is able to work across personal computers, laptops, netbooks and even tablets. To cater to touch input, Windows 8 has introduced a new user interface that resembles that of the Windows Phone 7, on top of the traditional interface that is already in used nowadays. As promising as it sounds, Windows 8 still has a long way to go before more concrete information can be revealed.
In the recently held E3 2011, Nintendo unveiled a new video game console, the Wii U. In this release, Nintendo introduces a new controller that features a touchscreen on top of the conventional buttons to provide new ways to interact with games. The new controller is able to work seamlessly with TV, such that the touchscreen of the controller and the TV can show different yet related information simultaneously. The new console can also work with Wiimote to provide even richer interaction with games.
AUTHOR LAM WOON CHERK + PHOTOGRAPH POCKETNOW.COM, AECORP.IN
THERE ARE 5 MISTAKES IN THIS POSTER. If you beleive your a great deigner or writer with an eye for details, spot these mistake, then send your feedback to the below address with a portfolio of your work.
Email: designer recruitment - <yourname> to theridge.headdesigner@nussu.org.sg or writer recruitment - <yourname> to theridge.chiefeditor@nussu.org.sg