Dialogue

Session on 27th June, 5pm Concerns by DMAT/FT/3A03 represented by Elizabeth & Qingle 1. Studio Time Studio time is split between 180 students, lecturers, as well as classes such at REMT and POD. There is just not enough time for students to complete their work. This brings up a few questions: do all classes make use of the studio during the lessons? If they do, do they make use of the full 4 hours the lecturers book, or only 2? Are all studios booked in use, or only 1 or 2? Is block booking a necessity, or merely for convenience sake? One of the studios has been blocked out for a week, by lecturers to record tutorials for year 1s. We feel that it couldve been done at a better time, perhaps first few weeks of school, rather than in the midst of the rush period as students clamber to complete their assignments. 2. Studio Maintenance The studios and its equipments are terribly maintained. A lot of the mic stands are not working, and amps almost seem to break down on a regular basis. The amps and mic stands that are not working are still placed in the studios, especially studio C, which take up a considerable amount of space. It also confuses the students as to which ones work and which ones dont. While it is ultimately our, the students, fault that the equipments spoil and breakdown, I (elizabeth) feel that it should be communicated clearly and explicitly by the lecturers how to care for the equipments and the consequences of not doing so. Not every student knows how to treat an amp or a mic properly, and I think it should not be assumed so. Equipments that are not working also should not be left in the studios, since it clutters up the studio. Computers should also be maintained on a regular/semi- regular basis. Files saved on the computers by those already graduated should be deleted by now. Related to point 7. 3. T2044 The class feels that lecturers should allow students, especially year 3 students, to sit at the side of the class and do their work quietly, even if there is a class going on. Also, when there is a booking at studio A and there is a class in 2044, some disturbance and noise is to be expected, especially if students are moving amps and equipments into the live room. The students ask for some understanding from the lecturers in this aspect as it is unavoidable, and not the fault of the students, unless excessive noise is made. We are also concerned about the number of keyboards, as we think it is not enough, especially in T2044, where a lot of DMAT students do their work. We also dont find the new tables particularly favourable.

4. Studio Equipment Some of us feel that there are not enough studio equipments, such as amps and mics. This is also somewhat related to studio maintenance, where things spoil almost regularly. 5. SPAZ SPAZ is compulsory for all students and affects the grade of every module (last I asked, and its only relevant to year 3s) in the form of participation marks. SPAZ is time consuming, especially to year 3s. Some of our classmates suggest that it should be such that the year 1s join SPAZ, the year 2s take over, and the year 3s step down and supervise, as the year 3s feel that they have too much to handle and their own final year works are being compromised in the process, affecting their grades ultimately. SPAZ, according to our knowledge, was meant to be an apprenticeship and for students to do work that simulates real life experience, but some of us feel that it has reduced to a competition between artists and lecturers, fighting over which equipments to use and having not enough for all groups to record at the same time. (Related to point 4) Also, as this is extra-curricular, some of us feel this it is unfair to include it in all of our grades. There are a number of students who do not wish to participate in this record label, and this negatively affects the grades in an unjust way, unjust because it the ultimate grade is then not a true representative of a students skills. For example, if a student is good at arranging but however gets a B due to lack of participation in SPAZ, the future school or employer would assume that the student is not so good in arranging. This does not reflect the students ability in a fair manner. I (elizabeth) feel that if lecturers wish to link SPAZ with our grades, they should put it as a separate module, such that if a student chooses not to do well in that module, it does not affect his other modules in an unjust way. Still, some of us feel that it should remain extra-curricular and students should not feel forced to attend, as students each have their own priorities and things they wish to focus on, on top of all the schoolwork. A record label is not something everyone is interested in. Years 3s, especially, are struggling to cope with SPAZ. Lastly, some of us do have a suggestion and that is to make SPAZ a joint project with other diplomas/schools. There are some marketing and video aspects students have to do, and some of the students feel disillusioned because they are not doing something more related to their schoolwork. One suggestion is to let the DMAT students do the DMAT-related aspects, while we hand over the other aspects to other diploma students who are familiar with the subject, such as letting some video students do the video aspects. To ask DMAT students do everything, from recording, mixing and songwriting to marketing, advertising,

and video shooting and editing, seems a bit too ambitious as the latter is not our expertise. This is also relevant to how SPAZ affects our grades unjustly. 6. Comtech Website We feel that it will be very helpful if the comtech website for studio booking could be hosted somewhere where we can access it using any internet connection, hence being able to make and alter bookings from home. 7. Provide Proper Flight Cases for Loose Equipment Some of us feel that proper flight cases could be provided for loose equipment such as amps, cables, keyboards, outboard gear, speakers, and the likes, so that itll be more convenient to transport stuffs from comtech/studios to other venues of the school such as the hall or the auditorium. This also reduces the risk of students damaging the equipments. 8. Could Comtech Open the Studios at 8am? We would just like to ask why not, and if its possible to. This will accumulate to a substantial amount of extra studio time for students.