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ISSUE 5 Published July 2018 © Advancement and Communications Office St Joseph’s Institution International 490 Thomson Road Singapore 298191 6353 9383 www.sji-international.com.sg
SJI International Alumni https://www.linkedin.com/ school/13328877/alumni
infinitas The official magazine of the SJI International Alumni Association
infinitas 3 MESSAGES FROM HOME
7 TACKLING THE REAL WORLD
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O T
N E
10 EVERYTHING WOULD BE NONSENSE
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11 THE GREATEST GIFT
15 SJI FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP
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18 ARCHAEOLOGICAL DIG IN CAMPANIA
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PRESIDENT’S NOTE Times flies and it has already been a year since I wrote to you. Last year, we celebrated ten years since the school was founded, and it was a full year of celebration. Celebration of the school and all its miracles, big and small, but more importantly, a celebration of its proudest work: you. We had stories from you, as you embarked on your adventures criss-crossing the world and all its frontiers. The theme for this year’s Infinitas is ‘Through the Looking Glass’, which if you read in the middle of the day, on hump day after lunch, you respond with an ‘Oh, cool.’ So, I had to look it up. The ‘looking glass’ is an archaic term for a mirror, but ‘through the looking glass’, is actually a metaphor for looking into a strange, unfamiliar and parallel world — it comes from the sequel to Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland. And what I would suggest is this: being Lasallian is in many ways about looking for and into a strange, unfamiliar but ultimately parallel and deeper world — who are the last, the lost and the least and how do we help them? Do we go deeper than the surface of everyday living and striving, and what immediately affects our young careers? We should, but it’s neither easy nor apparent. And to move away from the language of excellence and achievement, of ever more lofty heights — it is a deeper calling. I know it sounds highfalutin, but in our young careers, it’s one way to make sense of the daily grind. But let’s keep trying, and our school’s as good a place as any to start finding the answer to the perennial question. So please, feel free to come home and get in touch anytime :) In any case, there are also the other unfamiliar and parallel worlds which our fellow alumni have thoroughly explored! In
this issue, Brian writes to us from the edge of an archaeological dig in Campania, while Yvette writes to us from the frenetic activity of a newsroom. We also hear from Ruru who’s just completed an exhilarating internship at the World Bank, and Lynette who has just started law school (hello from the other side of law school!). Lastly, but definitely not least, we also hear from the inaugural recipients of the SJI Foundation - Christ’s College Scholarship, Robert Martin and Mark Hangchi. I hope you enjoy the read, and as always, don’t forget to come home, and don’t forget the Lasallian call to the deeper world. For me, the call has always been a sobering but necessary reminder, when I think of all that the school has given me. Here’s wishing you the best and brightest till the next time — dig deep! Ora et Labora
Ian
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MESSAGES FROM HOME I hope you are well and happy. We always love to hear from you and so often I am inspired by your news and stories. Recently I have been thinking a lot about the “sugar in the milk” story. As a Zoroastrian, it is the story we are told as children. Just as sugar sweetens milk but is not seen, we are taught that we must strive to improve our communities without drawing attention to ourselves. Hence not for any recognition or accolades but simply to contribute. This leads to our core belief which is to practice “Good thoughts, good words, good deeds.” As my son was preparing for his initiation into the Zoroastrian faith this past holiday, we talked a lot about being the sugar in the milk. Many of my examples of good deeds were in fact drawn from our Alumni — so many of you have continued to serve in university and beyond. Many of you are reaching out to help new students settle
Ms Daver
in and serving on student societies. Some are studying to be teachers and we are so excited to welcome you into our profession! One has started the first sustainability action group at her university; another has plans to make space travel environmentally sustainable; others have gone into public service and social work. You continue to mentor and to actively look for opportunities to sweeten your communities. And you do this simply to help. You are the sugar in the milk. This November we will see our 10th batch of students graduate. The example set by our first nine batches continues to inspire not only this batch and our Grade 11s, but everyone in our community. On behalf of your entire team here at SJI International, we hope you continue to strive, learn, and impact your communities in memorable ways. We look forward to hearing more inspiring stories from you.
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Standing at Southernmost point of South Africa, in the Cape of Good Hope, I reflected on my time at SJI International. This is the point where many believed was the meeting of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans — a place full of activity, danger, beauty, stories and, of course, hope. Somehow my thoughts connected this to the Senior School, with it being wedged between adolescence and adulthood. A rollercoaster of activity, danger, beauty, stories and, of course, hope. I thought about the wonderful position that I find myself. In a typical day, it’s not unusual to have a discussion with a Grade 10 student about IB subject choices and, in the crossroads, an impromptu ‘catch up’ with an Alumni on their way to the University Counsellors Office. SJI International is now beyond a decade of existence. Our Alumnus is growing and it’s obvious in hearing your stories that you are true ambassadors of our mission — entering to learn, leaving to serve, becoming people of integrity and people for others. Probably by divine intervention, as I’m writing, two pieces of alumni news has found its way into my inbox — Brian Theng has completed an archaeological dig in Campania (Italy) and Victoria Lim is following her passions for a sustainable environment as she heads North for the Students On Ice 2018 Arctic Expedition.
This further illustrates that our alumni are making an impact on their communities while the school is making way in ensuring that you continue to make an impact on the SJI International community too. It is truly precious that many of you continue to support the school by volunteering your time and expertise during University Fairs, running Lasallian Camps, supporting our Scholarship Program, running presentations and advising our current crop of the pathways through IB and beyond. Your wisdom and guidance are always greatly appreciated. I look forward to breaking bread with you in the upcoming Alumni Summer Reunion. Render with joy to your Mater her due.
Mr Rainone
Photo courtesy of Ricardo Seah (Class of 2010)
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TACKLING THE REAL WORLD If anyone looked in, chances are they’d see about ten of us huddled together in that room, throwing out ideas, discussing pitches and on occasion, frantically rushing out words before the dreaded deadline. And that was us, the rag-tag team that made up the high school newspaper club. Fast forward ten years. I’m still huddled in a room — except it’s not so little anymore. On most days, I share it with other editors, writers, video journalists, crew members and presenters. But oddly enough, nothing much has changed. It’s still a team sat together throwing ideas at each other (and sometimes out the window), discussing pitches — and on most days, breaking into a sweat trying to get a story out before that same dreaded deadline. When I was younger, I always thought that journalism in the “real world” would somehow end up being a lot different to that tiny slice of journalism I’d experienced in high school. And in a sense, some things are different. The deadlines for one are a lot more rigid. The topics of course
Yvette
It all started in a little classroom in SJII. are worlds apart. And now because I write for an online team, I no longer have to see a copy of One Voice plying the dustbins of the gritty girls’ toilet on level two. But mostly, things are surprisingly similar. You’re still writing about topics that are important to your audience. Who’s to say what’s happening in the political scene is any more important to someone than who the high school football team thrashed in last week’s match? The sense of fulfillment doesn’t differ much either. There’s always that satisfaction to be had when you’ve finished writing an article — it means you can close all 30 tabs that you had open researching that topic. And of course the bonds you forge — whether it’s with those in the newsroom or in Mr Tedstone’s makeshift newspaper club room. Everyone always ends off by saying they owe so much to their high school. But I feel like for me, those words really ring true. So though in a sense so much has changed, I guess for me, not that much has changed. And maybe that’s not such a bad thing after all.
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Yvette is currently a journalist at BBC’s Singapore bureau
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“If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn’t. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn’t be. And what it wouldn’t be, it would. You see?” – Alice
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I’m tickled by this year’s theme for Infinitas, not only because “Through the Looking Glass” is particularly apt for an alumni magazine dedicated to reflection, but because Alice’s curious rambles bear particular meaning for me. It’s been nearly four years since I graduated from SJII, and in the time since, I have spent my years at Stanford University slowly discovering my love for Economics, complementing my major in full liberal-arts (and IB) style with a hodge-podge of philosophy, computer science and neuroscience classes, and seminars at the law school. And after all that, I am — if I dare say so myself — an economist who believes in nonsense. Let me rephrase: I believe that if we all had worlds of our own, everything (not just Alice’s world) would be nonsense. This perhaps seems contradictory to the economic doctrine of rationality, which was what initially appealed to me about the field of Economics — how convenient the world would be if we made the choices that were rationally best for us! Yet rational choice often implies conscious choice; and many of our subconscious choices wind up being, in Alice’s words, nonsense. These choices are often determined by the context that surrounds us: the social and economic environment we live in, the interactions that define us, the contingencies that we juggle. Nudging these subconscious choices can change outcomes – hopefully for the better. And that is why I spent 10 weeks at the Mind, Behavior, and Development Unit at the World Bank in D.C. this spring, under the Stanford in Washington programme.
Ruru
EVERYTHING WOULD BE NONSENSE I wanted to witness for myself how behavioural economics and policy could shape contexts, and make a material impact in fighting poverty and reducing inequality. Between looking at how growth mindset interventions can improve educational outcomes in South Africa and how VR can increase empathy towards one’s older self and potentially raise retirement savings, my time at the Bank has made me more aware of the sorts of problems I can strive to solve, merging my academic interests with real-world impact. Yet, the specific manifestation of my future remains undetermined — like many others, I am still looking for my niche: where I can uniquely situate myself to contribute to the world. I think I speak for many of my peers when I say that we have slowly come to the realisation that the answer to that question will not bear itself overnight, but will continue evolving throughout the course of our lives. A favourite philosopher of mine once said something about the affirmation of life through the will of eternal return. I often ask myself: if I had to do it over and over again for all of eternity, would this be the life I would be happy to lead? Unlike for Alice, there is no looking glass for us; there is no mirror through which we can see an alternate universe. How then, do we define our paths for ourselves? In the words of the Cheshire Cat, “that depends a good deal on where we want to get to. And no wise fish would go anywhere without a porpoise”.
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THE GREATEST GIFT Taking that leap of faith is never easy. Courage is pivotal to fighting the ‘demons’ trapped in your subconscious or conscious state of mind, the ‘voices’ in your head that plant thoughts of inadequacy or that emerging as a victor of the race is close to impossible. In moments like this, one desperately needs a confidence booster — myself included. For that reason, whenever I think of SJII, I am reminded of the greatest gift it has given me. Transitioning from a local secondary school wasn’t a piece of cake. In fact, SJII’s unique and distinctive teaching style once made me fear I wouldn’t adapt well, but it turned out to be one of my biggest takeaways. The small class sizes were the perfect opportunity for heated discussions (infused with occasional light-hearted banter) that at times went beyond the contents of history or literature texts and sought to explore prevalent real-life issues. The deliberate intimate class setting spurred me to take a step out of my comfort zone to unapologetically voice my opinions and most importantly, stand by it. Unlike the traditional paper-chasing mindset a majority of our society possesses, ‘A’s and ‘7’s were never the only yardsticks of our success; rather, our educators valued the unique traits of every individual and embraced us for our beliefs and passions. This served as the breather I desperately needed, which in turn gave me the courage to pursue my dreams of getting a place in Law school.
I’ll always be indebted to the school for the countless opportunities and plethora of activities it has presented me with and of particular note, the Junior College Law Programme (JCLP) that gave me a taster of the dynamic legal industry. My desire to study Law stemmed from the experiences I gained from this internship that had changed my entire perception of justice. Justice doesn’t lie in the harshest sentences or judgments passed against accused persons or corporations that have erred, but in the knowledge that every man and woman deserves a fair trial and proper representation in our courts. As I enter a new season of my life at the National University of Singapore, I take to heart that the lessons and values SJII imparted to me will always leave an indelible mark in my life and continue to grow with me as I emerge as a budding lawyer.
Lynette
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The beauty of an SJII education lies in the fact that the school values the unique characteristic of each individual student, and for that very reason, I am most grateful.
Photo courtesy of Ricardo Seah (Class of 2010)
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SJI FOUNDATION CHRIST’S COLLEGE CAMBRIDGE SCHOLARSHIP Being the first two recipients of the SJI Foundation-Christ’s College Cambridge Scholarship, we are humbled beyond words. Though we have both come a long way since graduating with the Class of 2015, we remain deeply grateful to our teachers and our friends for making our high school experience meaningful and productive. SJII and Christ’s have many similarities: both are well-respected academic institutions, with a strong emphasis on holistic educations — seeking to nurture leadership as much as knowledge. We are incredibly excited to have the opportunity to study at Cambridge, all the more with the generous support of the SJI Foundation. Cambridge is not going to be easy (things worth doing rarely are), but we could not have asked for a better preparation. The Lasallian ethos we bring with us draws inspiration from the experiences, lessons and memories of the SJII Community; particularly from the seniors before us, whose achievements challenge us to rise greater still, and whose guidance lights our paths. We hope to do the same, being examples for our juniors to aspire to.
Robert and Mark
It is our honour to lead as the first of the SJI Foundation Scholars from SJII, and we look forward to laying the international foundations of a strong and dynamic international Josephian network. We hope to pay forward the many defining experiences we had at SJII: the many laughs we shared, the canteen food we didn’t, the challenges we faced, the challenges we overcame, the lessons we learned, the lessons we shall live. Who could forget?
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We look back on our high school with fondness, but we now go forth with our mission: “Enter to Learn, Leave to Serve�.
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Earlier this summer I spent two weeks in the sunsoaked hills of Irpinia, one hour inland from Naples, on an archaeological dig at the ancient Roman city of Aeclanum. Situated in the modern-day town of Passo di Mirabella, Aeclanum was a medium-sized city of not inconsiderable wealth and with good connections, since the Via Appia passed through it.
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ARCHAEOLOGICAL DIG IN CAMPANIA The excavations this year focused on developing our understanding of some of the major public buildings of the town, the theatre, the forum, and the baths, and the experience was a perfect introduction to field archaeology for a classicist like myself! During the two weeks, I was learning and helping in the trench in the Roman baths. Several structures had already been found during the excavations in the 1950s. This year, we were working towards the ‘back’ of the site, to try and understand the relationship between two previously uncovered rooms. The baths are interesting because they appear to have undergone a ‘revival’ of sorts in the late-antique period, and also because our trench had a layer of volcanic ash from the 472AD eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Now, one hardly knows what to expect when asked to bring along a pair of steel toe boots and a trowel on an overseas trip. Perhaps some intense gardening. Archaeology is more like reverse gardening, inasmuch as we carefully peel back different layers of history, in the process removing — instead of planting — and analysing the different natural and manmade finds in each layer, from newest to oldest. We were taught how to identify changes in soil colour and texture, which generally mean changes in the time or manner of deposition, and hence indicate new periods or contexts. We learned how to distinguish bits of pottery from bits of brick, and how to identify marble fragments, or even bones.
Brian
In the afternoons we worked at the field lab, processing these different finds. This involved, in essence, washing and classifying them (e.g. different types of pottery were made at different periods). If we can identify the type, we can assign dates to the layer in which the piece was found. At the same time, different thickness and types of marble indicate different uses — floor or wall coverings, for example — and different sources, indicating just how active and far trade in the Roman world was. Of course, archaeological finds aren’t just limited to structures, ceramics, and marbles. We had archaeological scientists — a paeleoarchaeologist and an osteologist — to work on analysing plant/organic, and human/animal remains. At the same time, there was a digital team making 3D models, information systems, and reconstructions to help not only further research, but also with public outreach activities. One of the key strengths of modern archaeology is its multidisciplinary approach. Archaeologists are using more and more types of evidence and scientific techniques to increase our understanding of not just the usual big questions about urbanisation, trade, and wealth, but also the ‘ordinary life’ of a Roman town and new research focuses like public health and climate change. It was hot, and involved a lot of hard work. Nonetheless, it was terrifically interesting and well worth it. And I’ll definitely go back for more, if I get the chance. The perennial joy of Classics is its breadth, and my excavation experience in Italy certainly furthered my interest in the subject. If you’re keen, you may look up the Apolline Project on social media for a better idea of what the work is like! instagram.com/apollineproject/ facebook.com/ApollineProject/
Photo courtesy of Ricardo Seah (Class of 2010)
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ALUMNI REUNION 2017
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ALUMNI GATHERINGS AROUND THE WORLD JAKARTA 12 MAY 2018
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SINGAPORE 28 MAY 2018
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LONDON 20 JUNE 2018
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