RafflesianTimes Issue01 FA

Plus
ROOTED IN SERVICE
Legacies of a Family of
Old Raffesians
SERVICE BEFORE SELF
Raffes Interact Turns Fifty
SO WHAT DO YOU KNOW
ABOUT THE RLI
Helping Students Conquer
MountainsMetaphysical
Ones Included
RAFFLESIAN TIMES
July 2013 / Issue 01
S TAY UP DAT E D AT
http://alumni.ri.edu.sg
features
July 2013 / Issue 01
68-
73
SERVICE BEFORE SELF
We mark Raffes Interacts 50th
Anniversary by interviewing
outgoing president Eugene Lim
(currently in Year 6) and his father,
Mr Lim Seng Hock, who was the
frst chairperson of RJC Interact.
ROOTED IN SERVICE
We fnd out more about the family
of old Raffesians that includes
luminaries such as Lim Boon Keng,
Tan Tock Seng, Dr Kim Kok Ann,
and playwright Stella Kon.
29-
50
SO WHAT DO YOU
KNOW ABOUT THE RLI
The Raffes Leadership
Instituteformerly known as the
Raffes Institute of Experiential
Learningbrings students out
of the classroom to hone their
latent leadership skills by serving
communities and conquering
challenging outdoor environments.
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100-
106
GAP SEMESTER 2.0:
SCORECARD
Last year, our Year 4 students
embarked on the frst-ever Gap
Semester. We fnd out how the
pioneer edition of this programme
fared on their scorecards.
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PRInCIPALS MESSAGE
SCHooL nEWS
LETTER fRoM THE RPA
LETTER fRoM THE oRA
RGS REPoRT
THE PREfECT
#YoRo
THE CoUnCILLoR
The Raffesian Privilege
GREAT ExPECTATIonS
RooTED In SERvICE
Legacies of a family of
old Raffesians
THE TIME MACHInE
Teacher Pranks from
the 1990s
THE TEACHER
A Tale of Two Teachers
RAffLES RoMAnCES
SERvICE BEfoRE SELf:
Raffes Interact Turns fifty
UnITED In onE voICE
THE ATHLETE
five Decades of
Raffesian Softball
EDITORIAL TEAM
Lim Lai Cheng
S. Magendiran
Adeline Wong
Caleb Liu
Dominic Chua
Heryanti Suhaimy
Inez Tan
Izyan nadzirah
and the ExCo and
writers of
Raffes Publications
Raffes Press

CONTRIBUTORS
June Lee
Raffes Photography and
Art Club

ART DIRECTION
Egg Creatives Pte Ltd

PHOTOGRAPHY
Lumina Photography
To contribute an opinion
or suggestion, please
contact the editorial
team at raffesiantimes@
ri.edu.sg
CoPYRIGHT & REPRInTS
All material printed in Raffesian
Times is protected under the
copyright act. All rights reserved.
no material may be reproduced
in part of in whole without prior
written consent of the publisher and
copyright holder. Permission may be
requested through the Singapore
offce. Disclaimer: The views and
opinions expressed in Raffesian
Times are not necessarily the views of
the publisher.
This publication is printed on
environmentally-friendly paper.
TURnInG HoUSES
InTo HoMES
So WHAT Do YoU
KnoW ABoUT THE RLI?
GAP SEMESTER 2.0:
Scorecard
CHooSInG To BE
A LEADER
THE HATCHLInG
Great Adaptations
BLACK HoLES AnD
REvELATIonS
The Rise of The
Confessions Page
THE fEMInInE EYE
Engendering Equality
THE ARTIST
Purposeful Photographers
THE WRITER
The School at night
CALL of THE WILD
A feature on Eco-lits
newest Book
CoRE To THE
RAffLESIAn SoUL
Giving Back
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ContentS
Principals
Message
Welcome to the new-old Raffesian Times. The publication which you
hold in your hands has been half a year in the making, but many of our
old Boys will remember this name from their days in school, given that
the Raffesian Times has been in continuous publication since 1963, the
year that Singapore frst gained independence as part of Malaysia.
This relaunch of Raffesian Times arises out of a desire to unite our
current staff and students with their counterparts from the pastto
literally and metaphorically bring everyone together onto the same
page. Historically, this publication is the latest incarnation of a line
of school magazinesNews From RI (19912005), Outlook (the RJC
newsletter, 19822009), RInspire (200609), Eagle Eye (20102012),
ONE (the alumni magazine, 20092012). Where previous publications
have been driven by students and staff (or staff and alumni, in the case
of onE), whats distinctively different about the revamped Raffesian
Times is the fact that its been jointly written by students, members of
staff, and alumni.
In keeping with the magazines pedigree and in the spirit of the
schools 190th anniversary celebrations, weve chosen to focus on
school heritage with this issue. There are articles on the history of
the RI and RJC choirs (celebrating their 21st and 31st birthdays this
year), the Interact Club (50 years old in 2013), a revisiting of the frst
Raffes Players musical, Great Expectations, staged in 1975, a look
at the evolution of the schools House system, teacher pranks from
the 1990s as well as a special feature on a family that won the old
Raffesians Assocations RooTS contest for Largest Raffesian
family back in 1979.
Its not the past that is privileged, though. An interview with Mrs Poh
Mun See, the Principal of Raffes Girls School, gives us some insight
into the directions that are being charted for RGS. our student
writers investigate the currently-trending facebook phenomenon of
Confessions pages, and there are also updates on school initiatives,
including the Raffes Leadership Institute, the Gap Semester, and the
Raffes Community Initiative.
Ultimately, we felt that Raffesian Times was a particularly apt title for
a publication that aims to convene a meeting of different generations
of Raffesians. As we anticipate the schools second bicentennial in
2023, may we learn from the past, live in the present, and work to bring
about a better age for the communities that we fnd ourselves in.
PRINCIPALS MESSAGE
School Scene
LIM LAI CHENG
4
TOMORROW TODAY
CONCERT
RI students joined hands with
Germanys acclaimed Studio
musikfabrik and other talented
South-east Asian musicians
to put up the contemporary
classical concert. This ensemble
performed under the baton of
oboist Peter veale. RI was the
frst stop of the young musicians
Southeast Asian concert tour,
which also brought them to
Malaysia and Thailand. In
attendance was Principal Mrs
Lim Lai Cheng, who gave the
opening speech.
2 JANUARY
YEAR 4 ORIENTATION
This event brought the whole Year 4 cohort together for four
activities: Castles Can fly, High Impact Aret, K-Pop and
Dialogue in the Dark. These games and activities gave students
the chance to live out their fIRE (fortitude, Integrity, Respect,
Enterprise) values and strengthened class bonds.
MALAYSIAN MONTAGE
Year 2 students travelled
to Kuala Lumpur, negeri
Sembilan and Pahang on a
four-day learning journey that
covered places of historical,
geographical, cultural and
economic interest, visiting sites
like the Batu Caves and High 5
Bread factory. They also tried
their hands at making jam at
the Star fresh Agro Park and
rode ostriches at the Jelita
ostrich farm.
SCHOOL NEWS
School Scene
School News
5
SCHOOL NEWS
School Scene
YEAR 1 ORIENTATION
With the theme Spiritus Audent
(Spirit of venture), this years
orientation camp familiarised
new Year 1 students with the
campus, and introduced them
to the Raffesian spirit and
school traditions.
3 JANUARY
YEAR 56 OPEN HOUSE
Themed R! ALIvE, this years open House sought to encapsulate
the vibrancy and passion of school life. visitors were treated to lively
performances, academic displays, exhibition matches and campus
tours led by the Befrienders student ambassadors.
12 JANUARY
KIWI CUP
The Cup started in 1967 as a yearly playoff between the rugby
teams of RI and Saint Andrews School. The guest of honour this
year was His Excellency Mr Peter Hamilton, new Zealand High
Commissioner to Singapore, and the Cup was won by the team
from St Andrews.
25 JANUARY
YEAR 5 ORIENTATION
With the theme Aurora, over
1,200 Year 5 students bonded
over team activities such as
station games and war games.
The event closed with a
fnal night of song, dance,
fun and laughter.
1 FEBRUARY
6
TAKE 5
Students and staff turned up en masse on the sands of Palawan
and Tanjong Beach to commemorate Total Defence Day with the
annual Take 5. Themed United We Stand, this event marked
the frst time the entire Year 16 cohort congregated in Sentosa
for Take 5. In addition to the main concert staged on Palawan
beach, the Raffesians participated in activities and games such as
omnikin, Handball, A Minute to Win It and frisbee. There was also
an Amazing Race across Palawan Beach, a busking competition,
carnival rides and a booth providing free temporary tattoos.
15 FEBRUARY
NO SHOES DAY
In a campaign to help raise
funds and awareness for the
poor living conditions of children
in Kenya, Raffesians bared their
soles for a day to experience
the plight of the less fortunate.
With campaign efforts ranging
from photo booths, donating
of shoes to fund-raising sales,
the high-profle event certainly
made for an interesting sight, as
studentsand even teachers
spent the day treading about
barefoot. The campaign, now
in its second year running,
was organised by Community
Advocates in collaboration with
the Tana River Life foundation
and has collected 382 pairs of
shoes to date.
27 FEBRUARY
A-LEVEL RESULTS RELEASE
A total of 1,240 students received their GCE A-Level Examinations
results in the Multi-Purpose Hall and Indoor Sports Hall at 2.30pm.
The Class of 2012 did RI proud with its holistic excellence and stellar
academic results, including a record-breaking number of 10 students
who scored 9 distinctions in 13 academic units, which is the best
showing in history since the introduction of the revised A-Level
curriculum in 2006.
1 MARCH
SCHOOL NEWS
School Scene
7
REALMADRID PRESS CONFERENCE
The Realmadrid foundation announced its plans to partner with
Raffes Institution to bring the Realmadrid Campus Experience to
Singapore and Southeast Asia. An opportunity for budding boys
and girls aged 7-17 keen on pursuing football in the region, the
Realmadrid Campus Experience will also provide like-minded
Raffesians and other young footballers a unique opportunity to work
with and learn under coaches from one of the most successful teams
in football history.
RI LECTURE SERIES
Chairing the 11th lecture in the series, Senior Minister of State
for Law and Education Ms Indranee Rajah (RI, 1981) addressed
pertinent issues in the Singapore education landscape today, and
emphasised the importance for the education system to continually
refne itself. She also highlighted the need for schools to serve the
various learning needs of studentsthat they must not only learn
hard skills, but also learn how to learn and be inculcated with the
right values.
4 APRIL
YOUTH GOT HEART
organised by the Raffes
Interact Club, the annual
Youth Got Heart community
service roadshow drew several
thousand youth participants
from all over Singapore to
*SCAPE orchard, where over
30 vWos (voluntary Welfare
organisations) offered a range
of volunteering opportunities
for youth to fnd their passion in
community service.
6 APRIL
11 APRIL
CLASS EXECUTIVE
COMMITTEE (CEC)
INVESTITURE
This formal event recognizes
the important roles played
by the CECs, which consist of
one monitor and two assistant
monitors in every class. The
CECs aim to promote class
and batch bonding within
the school, and to foster a
strong sense of unity, spirit and
belonging in every Raffesian.
12 MARCH
SCHOOL NEWS
School Scene
8
SCHOOL NEWS
School Scene
PRIZE-GIVING CEREMONY
The prize-giving ceremony honours Year 14 students who
have achieved excellent academic and sporting results. It also
recognises those who have contributed signifcantly to the
school and the community. This years Guest of Honour was Mr
vanu Gopala Menon, Deputy Secretary (Southeast Asia and
International organisations) in the Ministry of foreign Affairs. He is
concurrently Singapores Ambassador to the federal Democratic
Republic of Ethiopia and the African Union, resident in Singapore.
33RD STUDENTS COUNCIL
INVESTITURE
The 33rd Students Council
Investiture saw the swearing-in
of Council President Edward
Kim (14A01C), vice-Presidents
Goh Zuo Min (14S06B) and
Kimberly Chia (14A03A), and
73 student councillors. The
Guest of Honour was Ms Adele
Tan (RGS, 1990; RJC, 1992)
who was the President of the
11th Students Council. She
is currently the Director of
Corporate Development with
the national Parks Board.
16 APRIL
16 MAY
SENSE OF A BEGINNING
BOOK LAUNCH
Sense of a Beginning, an
anthology of fve different tales of
substance abuse, was launched
by Principal Mrs Lim Lai Cheng,
together with President of
the Singapore Anti-narcotics
Association (SAnA) Mr Poh Geok
Ek. The book was a collaboration
between SAnA and fve Year
6 students, who conducted
interviews with fve former drug
addicts. The accounts were then
passed on to a group of Year 5
volunteers who transfgured them
into literary works.
YEAR 14 OPEN HOUSE
over 4,800 Primary 6 students
and their families attended the
Year 14 open House, which had
the theme Great Expectations.
It featured performances and
displays by CCA groups, campus
tours, classroom experiences,
DSA (Direct School Admissions)
talks, as well as a sharing session
by Principal of RI.
22 MAY
25 MAY
9
SCHOOL NEWS
School Scene
STAFF DAY
Themed forging Ties, fusing
Bonds, this years Staff Day
gathered all 706 staff members
of RI to celebrate RIs fIRE values
and strengthen inter- and intra-
department bonds.
31 MAY
RAFFLES AMBASSADOR SERIES (NORWAY)
His Excellency Mr Tormod Cappelen Endresen, Ambassador of the Kingdom of norway to Singapore,
gave a lecture to the Year 34 students on norways economy and foreign policy, as well as the challenges
it faces due to its strong economic growth.
28 MAY
1 0
HIGH NOTES
Letter from the RPA
BY SHEELA MARIAMAH
The Raffes Parents Association
(RPA) Management Committee
(MC) ended its 24th term on a
high note. Many activities had
been planned and executed
successfully throughout the
term by our dedicated parents,
the last being a week-long
community service trip from 12
to 18 December 2012 to Baray,
Cambodia. The maiden trip,
initiated by outgoing chairperson
Mrs Goh Swee Hong, saw 14
adults and 13 children, including
principal Mrs Lim, paint a school,
visit an orphanage and distribute
clothes and groceries to the
needy. It was such a success
that were hoping to make it an
annual affair.
Mr Richard Wong
Chairman
Dr Cao Lin
Vice-Chair (Year 56)
Ms Sheela Mariamah
Vice-Chair (Year 14)
Ms Cathleen Ho
Secretary
Ms Jo Lee
Assistant Secretary
Ms Priya Ramanujam
Honorary Treasurer
Mr R Muthaiah
Assistant Hon Treasurer

COMMITTEE MEMBERS
(YEAR 56):
Ms Rekha Gunasinghe
Mrs Vandana Kackar
Ms Susan Tjen-Wijaya
Mrs Theresa Teo
COMMITTEE MEMBERS
(YEAR 1 4)
Mr Jasman Shah
Mr Tom Masci
Mr Timothy Thong
Mr Karsten Betzler
Mr Hendy Shi
AUDITORS
Ms Lan Luh Luh
Mr Tan Tzann Chang
CO-OPTED MEMBERS
Ms Lock Yin Mei
Mr Hubert Lim
Ms Lim Sook Luan
Ms Elsie Thien
Ms Esther Chow
Ms Viji Jagadeesh
Mr Fred Low
MEDIA
Gabriel Ng
INTRODUCING THE 25TH RPA MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
The new team of offce-bearers was elected on 23 March 2013.
Whilst many previous MC members remained, some new ones were
roped in as well.
LETTER FROM THE RPA
School Scene
1 1
on a personal note, this is my
fourth year serving in the RPA
MC and Im proud to be part of
this dynamic Raffes family. It is
indeed a pleasure to contribute
in whichever way I can and I
hope that more parents can
come forward to help, as well
as participate.
SHEELA MARIAMAH
Vice-Chair (Year 1 4)
Raffes Parents Association
We also have our ongoing
Zumba classes which see
many mums (and some dads)
dancing their way to a slimmer
fgure. And if dancing is not
your cup of tea, you can also
try our yoga classes.
Please check out our RPA
facebook for photos of past
events and visit our website
http://raffes-pa.blogspot.sg/.
The new committee has
planned several events that
parents can look forward to.
So far, weve had an nS
Talk on 9 March, where
our outgoing MC member
Brigadier General Ishak Ismail
shared about how parents can
help prepare their sons (and
themselves too) for national
Service. next, we had our
family Connect event on 6
April, a morning packed with
fun and games for the whole
family. The fun-flled activity
was attended by 60 parents
and their children.
In the pipeline are career talks,
townhall meetings, lunches and
breakfasts with the principal,
Teachers Day celebrations,
PSLE Maths workshops, the
Supervised Study Programme
(SSP), A-Level Dinner, Scholar
Hosting and perhaps another
community service trip.
We make a living by what we get,
but we make a life by what we give.
WINSTON CHURCHILL
LETTER FROM THE RPA
School Scene
1 2
As Raffesians, we are all familiar
with the Raffesian Spirit. Some
say that it is something that
cannot be defned, yet others
believe that it is the sense of
belonging, pride and shared
camaraderie as well as our
primary DnA. However it is
defned, it is the common
bond that is shared by every
person who has walked through
the halls of the school. It is
manifested in every competition
that we win or lose. It is the
engine that drives us to do
our best, come what may. The
Raffesian Spirit was what set us
apart when we were in school.
Unfortunately for many of us,
it is also one of the things
that we leave behind when
we move on to bigger things.
for some, it may just have
evolved into something else.
Reinvigorating the
Rafflesian Spirit
Letter from the ORA
BY NICK YEN
for others, the effervescent
fame somehow fzzles out as
our priorities change. for too
many, the stirring in our hearts
when we hear our school song
quickly becomes just another
distant memory.
It is ironic that at Raffes we talk
constantly about the Raffesian
Spirit and how it pervades
everything that we do in school,
yet we abandon it so quickly
once we leave it. In recent
times, other institutions have
surpassed us in maintaining
their school spirit.
As such, the resuscitation of
the Raffesian Spirit among
the alumni became a top
priority for the current oRA
council when we took offce
last year. our mission extended
beyond the social events that
had always been popularit
encompassed a re-examination
of the role of the oRA, and the
word that encapsulated our
mission was connections.
As alumni, we are the sentinels
of the Raffesian Spirit. We are
entrusted as torchbearers and
we have the responsibility to
stoke the fames that keep the
spirit alive. And if the fame
fzzles, then what better way
to rekindle this fame than to
go back to the source of it
allour Mount olympusour
alma mater.
Starting with the Business
Leaders Programme that
was launched last year to the
amalgamation of the oRA
dinner with Homecoming at
RI this year, we continue to
reach out and forge new ties
We are entrusted as torchbearers and we
have the responsibility to stoke the fames
that keep the spirit alive.
LETTER FROM THE ORA
School Scene
1 3
ORA
School Scene
SIR SONG ONG SIANG
18711941
Sir Song ong Siang (RI, 1888) was
the frst President of the oRA, which
was founded on 28 April 1923 by
Headmaster D A Bishop.
Sir Song was a recipient of the
Guthrie Scholarship and the
Queens Scholarship, and was
the frst Malayan Chinese to be
awarded the Knight Commander
of the Most Excellent order of the
British Empire (KBE).
A strong advocate for education and
educational reform, he co-founded
Singapore Chinese Girls School in
1899 and the Hullett Memorial Library
in 1923 with Lim Boon Keng to mark
the centenary of the founding of
Raffes Institution.
with alumni from different
generations. To leverage
the value of the Raffesian
network, we have organised
various sessions for alumni
to share their experiences
and knowledge. numerous
activities have also taken
place in and out of the
school to encourage alumni
to re-connect. In the coming
months, we will continue to put
into place various initiatives
and platforms with the school
to promote connections and
re-connections.
The council hopes that as we
approach the 190th anniversary
of RI and the 90th anniversary of
the oRA this year, we can look
forward to a reinvigoration of
the Raffesian Spirit as well as the
alumni network. We believe that
this is the beginning of a better
age for the school and for the
oRA. Auspicium Melioris Aevi.
1 4
In Conversation with
Principal Mrs Poh Mun See
RGS Report
WHAT WAS RGS LIKE DURING
YOUR TIME AS A STUDENT,
AND HOW DOES IT FEEL LIKE
TO COME BACK TO RGS AFTER
MORE THAN 20 YEARS?
Im excited to be back, to return
to a place that gave me and my
friends so many fond memories,
the frm foundation for higher
education, and also the right
attitudes towards life and
work. I see this appointment as
an opportunity to contribute
back to my alma mater, and of
course with the new campus
development, its also a chance-
of-a-lifetime to create a leading-
edge campus to support our
vision and mission. Its a lot of
work, but my team and I are
very excited.
So what was it like back then
when I was a student? I think
many things have remained
the same. firstly, RGS is still
a school of choice for many
girls, and we continue to
take in students from many
primary schools. I remember
how, as a Sec 1 student, I had
multi-talented friends who
came from a spread of primary
schools from different parts
of Singapore. Secondly, I was
also very impressed by the
prefectorial board, by how the
prefects led in the forefront,
and how they assisted the
teachers in running the school.
Today, student leadership
development is a cornerstone
of our character education and
the prefects are still leading
and serving with impact. Thirdly
and most importantly, the RGS
school spirit has remained
strong and our school events
have continued to be very
vibrant and of the highest
standards. Back in those days,
we had to audition to perform
on founders Day and Speech
Day, and we were always
ecstatic to be selected. That
sense of pride and affliation
to the school, where the girls
eagerly volunteer to participate
in school events, has been
frmly anchored in RGS.
So what has changed? We
have certainly grown in size
RGS REPORT
School Scene
1 5
in every sense. other than
our larger school campus (we
have taken over the land that
was once used by Anderson
Secondary School), we now
offer many new subjects and
programmes that were not
present during my time. The
assessment system has also
changedinstead of major
mid-year and fnal-year exams,
we now have continual tests
throughout the year.
Because of the many
programmes that we offer, the
girls now spend longer hours in
the school. I used to be able to
go home at 2pm on two to three
days each week, but I doubt our
students can do that today
most leave at 5pm or even later,
especially when they have CCA
training. And to run so many
programmes, weve also hired
more teachers and staff. over
the last two decades, our staff
strength has doubled to almost
200. These are some of the visible
changes for the RGS visitor today.
RGS is a very busy place now
much busier than before.
AS AN OLD GIRL, HOW WOULD
YOU DESCRIBE THE ALUMNI
SCENE IN RGS, AND WHAT
CAN ALUMNI DO TO GIVE
BACK TO THE SCHOOL?
Although Ive only been here
for three months, Ive had the
good fortune of meeting up with
various members of the alumni.
The school is now collaborating
with the alumni to raise funds
for the new campus. There is,
of course, the RGS chapter in
the oRA, and then we also have
old girls who are very active
in the Parents of RGS (PRGS)
association. Besides these two
groups, there are also alumni out
there who are passionate about
giving back to the school, and
some of them have stepped forth
to volunteer their time, expertise
or donations to support the
development of the new campus.
I think we can be more
systematic, going forward, in
reaching out to batches of RGS
girls and letting them know how
they can support the school
not just for the new campus, but
in every way possible. They could
give talks, offer attachments in
their companies, link us up with
potential donors, or even join the
Board. Right now, we are trying
to set up the RGS alumnae, but
this is still a work in progress as
the leadership is not yet frmed
up. We hope to establish the
alumnae in these two years.
COULD YOU TELL US MORE
ABOUT RGS UPCOMING MOVE
TO BRADDELL-WESTLAKE?
The plan is to move into the new
campus in Dec 2017, but this
is an ambitious timeline. our
current land area is 5.5 ha, and
at the new site, well have 7 + 1
ha7 usable hectares of land,
and the remaining hectare is the
land that covers the drains so we
may not be able to build above
it, but its still open space that
the school can call its own.
The campus will be built
in phases and some of the
facilities, especially non-standard
ones, will not be ready by Dec
2017. A lot will depend on the
amount of funds that the RGS
community can raise in the next
decade and MoEs approval to
construct those facilities.
We also recognise that being
near RI would mean that we
can leverage some of the
facilities and programmes in
RI, leading to an even more
meaningful exchange between
the two schools. Were working
on a narrative for the campus
now, having done one round
of consultation with students
and staff, and we hope to
build a campus that can refect
our characterinnovative
and trailblazing, inspiring in
our mission and actions, and
retaining the rich heritage that
RGS is proud to have.
RGS REPORT
School Scene
1 6
IS THERE GOING TO BE A
BRIDGE LINKING RGS AND RI?
Yes! Theres been talk about
building that bridge, but weve
not settled on whos paying for
the bridge yet! (laughs) I hear
that the old boys from RI are
very keen to help, though!
WHAT DO YOU ENVISION THE
RGS OF THE FUTURE TO BE,
AND HOW DO YOU AIM TO
ACHIEVE THIS VISION?
In RGS, we have a dual mission.
first, as a premier girls school,
we have a responsibility to
nurture the future female
leaders of Singapore. Second,
being an independent IP
school, we are expected to be
a trailblazer in our programmes
and policies, setting the pace
and bringing value to entire
community. We have been
doing that very well, and
weve come a long way. So the
question is: how do we stay
ahead of the curve? Singapores
education system has also
matured, with many countries
benchmarking against us in
our practices and policies. So
for a school in the forefront
like RGS, there are not many
models that we can copy and
replicate. So where do we look
to for inspiration? I think, for
the next phase, we will have to
look within and tap on our three
strengthsour students, our
staff, and our partners.
The frst strength is that of our
students, for them to become
co-pedagogues, and to co-
create the curriculum and
pedagogy with their teachers.
This may sound like a tall order
for students, especially when
they have not been schooled
in educational theories and
curriculum design, but our
students are very talented and
they will be able to provide
valuable input to enhance the
lessons and enrich their learning.
The second is that of our
teachers, for them to be
instructional leaders by being
masters of their craft and
sharing their knowledge and
skills with the fraternity. And we
can draw upon their repertoire
of knowledge to improve the
way we teach and the way
students learn. Ultimately, our
teachers must be pioneers in
their work and be able to help
uplift the quality of instruction
in Singapore.
The third is that of our parents
and the alumni, for them to
contribute to our success.
Recently, weve been seeing a
lot of people who want to give
back to the school in whatever
way they can, and we want to
further engage them to shape
our work.
In other words, we hope to tap
on our own people and partners
to create a world-class institution.
But what does a world-class
institution really mean?
If you were to enter a world-
class restaurant, regardless
of which waiter serves you, or
which item on the menu you
pick, you would expect nothing
less than good service and a
delicious dish. Even if you were
served by a temporary waitress,
or if your dish was cooked by a
replacement chef, you would still
expect to have nothing short of
excellent food and service.
So the same concept applies:
if we were a world-class
institution, we should be able
to showcase any lesson or
So where do we look to for inspiration?
I think, for the next phase, we will have to
look within and tap on our three strengths
our students, our staff, and our partners.
RGS REPORT
School Scene
1 7
programme, anytime, anywhere,
and to anyone. And that is
a powerful idea, because it
means that everyone is on
the same pagewe know our
standards and we are able to
deliver a consistently excellent
experience for everyone.
It also means that anyone
stepping into the school will
feel warmth, vibrancy, and an
embracing culture. And when
one steps into a classroom, one
observes lessons that generate
excitement and enthusiasm
about the subject.
So that idea of high and
consistent standards is
something that I would like to
work towards, and I also want
to create that open culture of
sharing, where our teachers and
students are always prepared for
people to visit and collaborate,
and to see for themselves what
RGS is really like.
If we are a world-class
institution, then we should be
able to showcase any lesson or
programme, anytime, anywhere,
and to anyone. And that is a
powerful idea.
finally, we must ask ourselves,
who is the RGS Girl?, as these
girls are likely to be future
leaders of Singapore. Three
qualities of the RGS girl stand
out for me: capable, refective,
action-orientedbut are there
other traits that we want to see
in an RGS girl? Were having
further conversations with our
peoplethe parents, alumni,
staff, students and community,
and we want to sharpen the
notion of the RGS Girl, so that
our girls will become female
leaders of distinction to serve
the nation and society.
WHERE WOULD YOU SAY RGS
IS CURRENTLY, IN TERMS OF
YOUR VISION?
Were defnitely off to a good
start, as we have wonderful
students, a collegial staff, a great
school culture and established
systems and processes. Indeed,
we have come a long way as a
school, due to the contributions
of our predecessors. What we
need to do now is to articulate
our defnition of high standards
and decide collectively how to
arrive there. There is still much
to be done to become a world
class institution.
RGS REPORT
School Scene
1 8
BY ISAAC LEONG 4A
Back in 2011, my friend and I
were at the 10th anniversary
batch dinner of the Class of
2001 helping out with the sale
of Raffes Merchandise. All of a
sudden, an alumnus came up
to us and told us to treasure our
time at Raffes. He looked slightly
drunk, and it wasnt surprising
since the occasion must have
been full of fond distant
memories for him. nonetheless,
it did make both of us think
about the way we spent our time
in school and whether we were
making those moments count.
Looking back at this encounter,
my friend Cayson Chong (4E)
coined the term YoRo (Youre
only in Raffes once) to sum up
the mans advice. We frst shared
this at our Student Leaders
#YORO
The Prefect
THE PREFECT
#YORO
Isaac is fourth from left
This sense of being part of a bigger
community extends outside of my
class, and it is the reason why I choose
to throw myself into school life and
prefectorial work.
1 9
Camp last year when we talked
about making the Raffesian
experience memorable for our
peers and juniors. As a batch
of student leaders, we came up
with various plansfrom getting
CCAs to put emphasis on the
process of training hard as a
team, instead of only focusing
on winning medals; to initiatives,
like the fortnightly TGIf events,
that encouraged students to
take some time out of their busy
school life to bond with their
friends. These plans have been
an overall success thanks to
the hard work of many student
leaders, but their effectiveness
on a personal level may be more
diffcult to ascertain.
In the past year, many of us
have become increasingly
indifferent to matters in school
and gotten caught up with
our own world of workits
not uncommon after all to fnd
some amongst us who see their
GPA (Grade Point Average) as
the only thing to work for in RI.
But the Raffesian experience is
so much more than that, and it
is really up to the individual to
decide the kind of memories
and experiences to bring away
after six years at Raffes.
My frst three-and-a-half years
have been specialnot because
of big achievements and events,
but because of the great people
and the little things that have
come to defne my memory
of Raffes. Whether it was
supporting my classmates for
inter-class soccer, or doing wild
(and sometimes insane) things
together with themlike the
numerous birthday pranks we
pull on each other or the last-
minute decision to go topless for
our Merchant of venice Drama
Challenge in Year 2these
experiences are what I look
back fondly to. on hindsight,
I cannot be sure whether it
was the fun or the stress of
schoolwork that made the
experience so memorable. Even
the most strenuous projects
that had us working till midnight
were amazing because of the
experience of slogging it out
with like-minded friends.
This sense of being part of a
bigger community extends
outside of my class, and it
is the reason why I choose
to throw myself into school
life and prefectorial work.
Though it sometimes comes
at the expense of grades and
schoolwork, knowing that Ive
only got six years to make an
impact on the people around
me is what drives me. Perhaps
these experiences have also
taught me how to put aside
the instinctive feeling of
awkwardness to do what I
really love and feel for, be it
going crazy at match support,
or contributing the wackiest
ideas at orientation planning
meetings. Some were bad
ideas that eventually failed,
and many others we laughed
off for being impractical. But
amidst all these wacky ideas,
there were some that made us
rethink our approach to various
issues. Sometimes, this made
all the difference.
At the end, living the Raffesian
experience to the fullest
involves throwing yourself
into it and sometimes failing,
but looking back, doing these
things with great people will be
truly worthwhile.
So, dont hesitate to cheer your
heart out for friends fghting on
the pitch, be willing to take part
in Dramafeste even if youve
never acted before, initiate
something to help a classmate
in need, and give your best to
make the best of this once-in-a-
lifetime exprience!
THE PREFECT
#YORO
Isaac Leong is currently
the Headboy of the RI
Prefectorial Board.
2 0
The Rafflesian Privilege
The Councillor
This is amazing! Seeing
this library, I already feel like
studying! now I know why
Raffes people always do so
well With every exclamation, I
could feel my face uncontrollably
turning redder as I brought the
two guests, councillors from
another school attending 33rd
Students Council Investiture,
around our campus.
The pair marveled at the photo
display of CCAs around Block J;
they compared our three-storey
library, complete with entire
shelves of past year papers, a
photocopying room and think
tanks, to the single storey one
in their school. Their genuine
wonderment at the things we
have become accustomed to
seeing every day was a striking
reminder of how lucky we
are. I found myself repeatedly
rushing to fnish every
introduction of each place with
and we are very lucky to
have these resources.
Indeed, we Raffesians are a
privileged bunch. We enjoy
two years or more of quality
education and have an
abundance of resources to tap
into. Being a councillor meant
that I was a privileged subset in
an already advantaged group.
Councillors are equal to our
fellow school mates, yet
are privileged because we
have the responsibility of
organising school-wide events
and targeting the needs of
the school community by
introducing initiatives. We are
granted resources such as funds,
a spot in the calendar and the
advice of teacher-mentors to
fulfll this end, and it is our duty
to put them to good use.
Throughout my council term, I
have been repeatedly reminded
how easy it is to forget how
incredibly blessed we are.
Many a time, councillors would
complain about our limited
fundsdespite the fact
that our budget for events is
already many times that of
other schools. our demands
and expectations are so
high, because we habitually
receive so much. We appear
to carry around an invisible
knapsack, a term coined by
Dr Peggy McIntosha set
BY ASHLYNNA NG 13A01B
THE COUNCILLOR
of unearned resources that
we carry around by virtue of
our identity. More often than
not, we are not aware of what
these unearned resources are.
There are many resources
that councillors possess, such
as keys to the games room at
the Hodge Lodge or rooms
to store logistics and hold
meetingsand at times we
saw this as a right, rather than a
privilege. Thankfully during our
term, the student population
kept the council grounded. If
we made mistakes, or misused
our privileges, our friends were
there to remind us that the
provision of these resources are
for the sole purpose of better
serving the school.
Similarly, for the wider school
community, we too have our own
Raffesian privilege. I do not
say this with elitism, but rather
2 1
Ashlynna is second from left
THE COUNCILLOR
of commons of which we have
drawn from so extensively. It is
no longer just about Raffesians
contributing back to society.
It is also about our attitude in
doing so. Many Raffesians go
on to become doctors, lawyers
or public servants who can
contribute signifcantly in their
respective felds. But will we be
authentic in our intention to save
lives, provide legal protection
or serve the people? or will we
fall into the trap of dismissive
condescension which has reared
its ugly head in recent prominent
cases on social media?
The real world will not be as
forgiving as our school mates
if we abuse our privileges, or
are arrogant in our actions.
We have to be cognisant of
our well-endowed position
and realise that where we are
today is partly due to factors
independent of our own effort.
With that awareness, it is silly to
not be humble and sincere in
our actions.
As we graduate from this school,
I am grateful for this chance to
be in this position of privilege. It
is an odd combination of events
that has allowed me to end up
where I am today. Thank you for
allowing me to serve in Council
and in so doing, take away these
invaluable lessons, which moving
forward, I hope to apply when
serving Singapore. The future
beckons and I earnestly hope
that Raffesians can continue
to contribute actively to our
community and be true to our
motto, Auspicium Melioris Aevi.
the humble acknowledgement
that we have been (fairly, or not)
endowed with more. This is a list
of things that many of us have
taken for granted, or at least,
do not actively acknowledge.
At the most basic level, we
have ample academic support.
We have supportive teachers,
comprehensive notes and a
conducive environment for
studying, which allow us to push
ourselves academically and stand
a better chance at getting onto
the traditional routes of success.
So what are Raffesians to
do with this privilege? With
all the recent talk about the
effectiveness of meritocracy
and how it is unfashionable to
be a Raffesian (as my literature
teacher is known to say) given
the socio-economic trepidations
Singapore is undergoing, we
need to work twice as hard to
contribute back to the treasury
But will we be
authentic in our
intention to save
lives, provide legal
protection or serve
the people? Or will
we fall into the
trap of dismissive
condescension
which has reared its
ugly head in recent
prominent cases on
social media?
Ashlynna ng is the
President of the 32nd
Students' Council.
2 2
BY IZYAN NADZIRAH
Restaged the Raffles Way
2 3
The Wanton Sisters
GREAT EXPECTATIONS
Gloria Lewis, Harold Tan & Richard Tan
We were ambitious, I must
admit. But we pulled it off,
shared an amused Harold Tan
(RI, 1976) on putting up Great
Expectations in 1975. The
frst thing you need to hold
a successful performance is
good leadershipto direct
and to flter the ideas that
everyone will suggest time and
again that may be unbenefcial
to the development of the
performance. The second
thing is possibly healthy stress.
of course, some of us were
stressed to our wits ends, what
with juggling multiple extra-
curricular activities and our
academics. But the stress of
holding a play all on our own at
the age of 17 was a challenge
that enabled us to discover our
personalities. It was worth it.
Harold was the musical
director of Great Expectations
performed by Raffes Players
and is currently the Director for
Real Estate Advisory at vestAsia
Group, a company that provides
real estate consultancy and
executive training.
In 1975, a group of Pre-
University students in RI broke
with theatrical tradition to
stage a student-written and
student-directed performance
to a national crowd comprised
of youths from various
schools. Instead of the yearly
Shakespearean play in RI, the
Raffes Players, together with
some choir members, staged
a musical adapted from one of
the greatest victorian classics,
Great Expectations.
To write the musical, the Players
combined two centuries worth
of entertainmenta 19th
Mr Harold Tan
Ms Gloria Lewis
THE STRESS OF
HOLDING A PLAY
ALL ON OUR OWN
AT THE AGE OF 17
WAS A CHALLENGE
THAT ENABLED US
TO DISCOVER OUR
PERSONALITIES. IT
WAS WORTH IT.
HAROLD TAN
2 4
century bildungsroman novel
focusing on the moral character
of society with adaptations of
20th Century love pop songs
(most of the lyrics were changed
to suit the scene). The cast also
borrowed the idea of a Greek
chorus, with a 29-member strong
choir singing the adapted pop
songs that formed the narrative
backbone of the musical.
They even introduced new
characters not found in the
GREAT EXPECTATIONS
from left: Soh Chye Guan,
Harold Tan, and Richard Tan
in 1975
WHAT KEPT US GOING
WAS THE RAFFLESIAN
SPIRIT TO NEVER GIVE
UP WITHOUT GIVING
IT OUR BEST SHOT.
HAROLD TAN
novelthe Wanton Sisters
who provided much hilarity,
glamour and an Asian context
to a quintessentially English
text. The resultant musical was
uniquely Raffesian, and held
much appeal, particularly with
Literature students.
As Harold had let on earlier,
staging the musical was no
mean feat. Gloria Lewis (RI,
1976), who resides in Perth,
Australia and who is also an
2 5
Dr Richard Tan
amateur watercolour painter
and a beauty therapist with her
own business, recalls dividing
her time between softball,
Raffes Players and academic
work. In the period leading up
to the national tournaments, her
days would start at seven in the
morning in the school feld (at
the Grange Road campus) to
train for softball. After running
laps and practising her throws,
she would head for assembly
and then diligently bury her
head into her books before
rushing off to Great Expectations
rehearsal in the afternoon.
In the evening, when the sun was
not too hot, she would continue
her softball practice. It was quite
funny sometimes. I would be
playing in the feld at around 4
pm and I could hear the Players
practising the songs at the music
room next to the feld. often
enough I wished I could be at
both places at the same time!
Gloria, who was a recipient of
the Colours award (an award
given to students who excelled
academically and in sport)
for her dedication to softball,
admits that her grades suffered
for a considerable period of
time. The many hours put
into both softball and Raffes
Players left her feeling drained
by the time she reached
home, and she spent less time
revising. Harold agreed that
it was hard to force oneself
to persevere with studies
at times, especially after a
draining rehearsal: There were
moments when we were all just
ready to give up. There were
hours when all of us would be
sullen, tired, and half-hearted.
But those moments, thankfully,
were rare. What kept us going
was the Raffesian spirit to
never give up without giving it
our best shot.
That same year, two out of the
four literature teachers left RI.
The teachers that remained
had to juggle extra classes
which affected their dedication
to the Raffes Players. When
asked if the lack of teacher
contribution and direction at
the start affected the morale
of the Players taking part in
Great Expectations, they each
gave a momentary pause. I
think we did great, no matter.
What help they gave us we
valued greatly, but looking
back it was an opportunity to
step forward and take charge,
said Dr Richard Tan (RI, 1976),
currently an aeromedical
doctor with the Singapore
Aeromedical Centre, and the
director of the 1975 musical.
Initially, one of the teachers
did not welcome the idea of
scrapping the Shakespeare play.
He questioned us a couple of
times on our decision to break
with tradition but we were
clearwe were a batch that was
inspired by the changes we saw
over our years in RI.
When asked to expand on
these changes, Richard smiled
and leaned forward. 1973 was
a unique year for us. The cohort
was very much involved in the
mass display for the opening
ceremony of the national
Stadium that July. We spent
long hours practising in the
hot sun to the extent that we
were straggling behind in our
studies. Can you guess what
the teachers did? He paused
GREAT EXPECTATIONS
2 6
for dramatic effect before
continuing conspiratorially,
They gave us major hints on
what was coming out for the
exams! Here we were furiously
copying down notes, cramming
last minute points into our
heads in class before rushing off
to the stadium for rehearsals,
and there were the teachers
at the blackboard writing and
underlining key phrases and
going through the same few
topics over and over again.
That was change to us. That
incident showed us how we
neednt be bound unnecessarily
by tradition, and how we could
adapt to any situation. After
considering many factors, we
readapted Great Expectations
and didnt look back.
But the Raffes Players (RP)
did not stop there. not long
after they decided to put aside
Shakespeare for the year, they
were determined to stage a
musical instead of a play. This
idea was the brainchild of the
RPs Executive Committee, of
which Harold, Richard, and Gloria
were members. Their explanation
was simplethere were many
hidden talents within RI and
staging a musical would allow the
school to unearth such talents.
Mr Philip Liau, our principal
then, was very supportive of
our new direction. In fact, he
challenged us further. Great
Expectations wasnt our frst
choice; initially we wanted
to borrow a musical directly
from the operas but Mr Liau
suggested writing an original
musical. We took two weeks
to crack our heads to come
up with a musical and when
Mr Liau gave the go ahead,
the rest, as they say, is history,
Richard revealed.
In fact, the second page of the
programme booklet archives for
posterity how the musical came
about. Titled How It All Started,
the page provides a brief history
of the Annual Play and how
they arrived at the decision to
stage Great Expectations. It also
explains how the musical was
one the Players could truly call
their own.
Second page of the Great
Expectations booklet.
GREAT EXPECTATIONS
2 7
GREAT EXPECTATIONS
When Performance Day
came around, all the drama
unfolded. one of the Players
had a breakdown, crying
uncontrollably throughout
the last rehearsal, and many
members suffered a case of
last-minute nerves, suddenly
doubting their ability to
go through with the play.
fortunately, when the curtains
were fnally raised, they had
calmed their nerves and the
show proceeded apace.
Things, however, did not
proceed wholly in their favour.
for starters, the hall was not air-
conditioned and the month of
August, as Singaporeans know,
is notoriously humid. As the
audience packed the small hall
and waited for the play to start,
complaints were voiced about
the heat.
We also had to deal with the
acoustics in the hall, which were
horrid, claimed Harold. The
back audience could barely
hear the actors who were
attempting very hard to project
their voices louder and louder.
It was an open hall, without
any doors to contain the sound.
Multiply that with the grousing
of the audience and the
whirring of the fans and you can
only imagine the chaos.
Additionally, the external
audience who came for
the play was unaware that
the musical did not entirely
parallel the literature text that
they had come to know. The
Players admit it was their own
faultwhilst hawking musical
tickets at other schools, they
had portrayed the musical as a
must-see to better comprehend
A poem detailing the toils
and tribulations experienced
behind the scenes by the
Raffes Players
THAT WAS CHANGE TO US. THAT INCIDENT
SHOWED US HOW WE NEEDNT BE BOUND
UNNECESSARILY BY TRADITION, AND HOW WE
COULD ADAPT TO ANY SITUATION.

RICHARD TAN
2 8
the text! Instead, the audience
was surprised by pop songs
with refurbished lyrics, and a trio
of goofy sex-bomb characters
inserted into the adapted text
of Great Expectations. In their
defense, Harold and Richard
admitted that they had been
over-zealous in their efforts to
get bums on seats.
Richard and Gloria agreed
wholeheartedly that the musical
was uniquely Raffesian. I feel
that, ultimately, the audience
understood that we were
a group of inspired youths
who wanted to showcase our
talents, Gloria pointed out.
furthermore, the audience was
never privy to what went on
behind the scenesthe pain
that went with it, the homework
piling up, the sore throats and
the lethargy. In fact, all this was
expressed in a nine-stanza poem
in the programme booklet!
When all three alumni were
informed that the school had
picked Great Expectations for
its 190th anniversary theme,
inspired by the musical they had
staged some four decades ago,
they were amused. Us? Really?
Why? asked Richard.
The school had a couple of
reasons, the main ones being
that it was a pioneering effort,
breaking with tradition when
faced with the need to do so,
and had done so in a creative,
charming way. This much the
school could glean from the
review in the 1975 issue of
The Raffesian Times.
We certainly wish the school
well. I feel that as Raffesians,
we learn the importance of hope
and we strive hard to make
things better, whether physically
or fguratively, at every juncture
of our lives. We learn how to
bounce back from failures and
take it all in stride, and are
not afraid to question. Yes, as
Raffesians, we carry out our duty
with great expectations,
mused Richard.
I FEEL THAT,
ULTIMATELY,
THE AUDIENCE
UNDERSTOOD THAT
WE WERE A GROUP
OF INSPIRED YOUTHS
WHO WANTED TO
SHOWCASE OUR
TALENTS.
GLORIA LEWIS
GREAT EXPECTATIONS
2 9
Rooted in Service
Legacies of a family of old Raffesians
BY JUNE LEE
3 0
Lim Boon Keng and Tan Tock
Seng have been much credited
with the development and
building of early Singapore.
But an interesting contest
run by the old Raffesians
Association (oRA) in 1979
revealed much more.
The oRA RooTS contest
sought to fnd the family with
the largest number of old
Raffesians. The winning family
had 45 Raffesian members at
the time, with the runner-up and
second runner-up having 22 and
18 names respectively.
Among these 45 members is
famous author and playwright
of Emily on Emerald Hill, Stella
Kon (RGS, 1960). I went to the
RGS at Queens Street, which was
the same school my mother and
grandmother attended, she said
proudly. Her sense of pride also
stemmed from the fact that Stella
is the great-great-great-great-
granddaughter of Tan Tock Seng
and the great-granddaughter of
Lim Boon Keng.
As we traced her family
roots of old Raffesians, we
discovered that they spanned
four generations with the oldest
graduating in 1893. Among the
45 names were fve Queens
Scholars: Dr Lim Boon Keng;
his grandson, Dr Lim Kok Ann;
Tan Thoon Lip and his sister Dr
Maggie Lim, who were both
great-great-grandchildren of
Tan Tock Seng; and Lim Hong
Bee, Dr Maggie Lims husband.
The Queens Scholarship was
the colonys most prestigious
academic prize at that time as it
enabled two promising students
in Malaya to enrol at a British
university each year. The coveted
Hullet Road was given its
name by Lim Boon Keng,
who was by then a successful
doctor and legislator, in
honour of his teacher and
headmaster, R W Hullett
scholarship, therefore, went only
to the best and the brightest.
There were also three Head
Boys in the family: Tan Thoon
Lip, Seow Sieu Jin (great
grandson of Tan Tock Seng) and
Lim Hong Bee.
our research has not only
revealed the deep roots the
two eminent families had with
RI but also how many of them
have come to this institution in
search of the best education,
and gone on to serve the
country well.
Many have left indelible marks
in the nations building history.
We put the spotlight on a few of
the areas where this family of old
Raffesians has left its legacy.
ROOTED IN SERVICE
Legacies of a Family of Old Rafflesians
3 1
ENHANCING THE LIVES OF
THE CHINESE COMMUNITY
Among the familys numerous
notable alumni, Dr Lim
Boon Keng (RI, 1887) was
a phenomenon. He was a
medical doctor, legislator,
scholar, educator, entrepreneur,
community leader, social
reformer and philanthropist.
Even though Boon Keng was
an outstanding student, he
almost didnt graduate from RI.
Three years after he entered
RI, his father passed away. As
his father was the familys sole
breadwinner, Boon Keng was
expected to leave school and
fnd a job to help support the
family. However, his headmaster,
R W Hullett, did not allow it.
Hullett was so impressed with
Boon Kengs intellect and
thirst for knowledge that he
personally tutored him. He also
called on Boon Kengs fathers
former employer, Cheang Hong
Lim, to get him to persuade
Boon Kengs grandmother to
allow him to continue with his
schooling after Boon Kengs
father passed away.
Thanks to the persistence of
the headmaster, Boon Keng
went on to become the frst
Our research has not only revealed the deep
roots the two eminent families had with RI
but also how many of them have come to this
institution in search of the best education,
and gone on to serve the country well.
Chinese in Singapore to take
up the Queens Scholarship.
Incidentally, much later in 1914
at the request of Boon Keng,
a road on Emerald Hill was
named in honour of his beloved
teacher and principal.
Upon his return from studying
medicine at the University
of Edinburgh, Boon Keng
started a clinic and soon built
a strong reputation as an able
and astute doctor. But the
multi-talented doctor gave up
full-time practice and taught
pharmacology and therapeutics
at the newly-established King
Edward vII Medical School
(founded 1905) and later at the
Straits and federated States
Government Medical School.
During this time, Boon Keng
also published a number of
articles in the Journal of the
Straits Medical Association.
His philanthropic activities
began when he started a
King Edward vII Memorial
fund when the king died in
1910. The fund he raised grew
considerably and by 1912, a
sum of $120,000 Straits Dollars
was donated to the fedgling
King Edward Medical School
where his grandson, Dr Lim Kok
His brilliance, heart for the
people and boundless energy
helped Dr Lim Boon Keng
to be the medical doctor,
legislator, scholar, educator,
entrepreneur, community
leader, social reformer and
philanthropist that he was.
(Photo courtesy of the national
Archives of Singapore)
ROOTED IN SERVICE
3 2
The ever-progressive
Boon Keng also
believed that Chinese
girls needed an all-
round education, so
he and a small group
of British-educated
Peranakan Chinese
men like Song Ong
Siang and Tan Boo
Liat founded the
Singapore Chinese
Girls School (SCGS),
the frst English
school exclusively for
Chinese girls in 1899.
Ann would later be a lecturer,
a Professor and eventually the
Dean. Since 2005, it has been
renamed the Yong Loo Lin
School of Medicine.
But his reputation as a
physician spread far and wide.
In the last days of Chinas
Qing Dynasty in 1911, Boon
Keng was appointed Medical
Adviser to the Ministry of the
Interior under Prince Su as
well as Inspector-General of
the hospitals in Beijing. Boon
Keng represented the Chinese
government as their delegate
in international medical
conferences in Paris and Rome.
He was also a director of the
International Hygiene Exhibition
in Dresden, Germany.
When Dr Sun Yat-sen became
provisional President of the
Chinese Republic in 1912, Lim
Boon Keng was appointed
Suns confdential secretary and
personal physician.
Beyond the medical feld, he
also became very active in
public affairs. He was made
Justice of the Peace in 1897,
and also served as a legislative
councillor (18951921),
Municipal Commissioner
(19051906) and member of the
Chinese Advisory Board (1897
1898 and 19131922). Serving
in these capacities put Boon
Keng in a position to petition
the British colonial government
for various improvements to the
lives of the Chinese.
As a community leader, he also
urged local Chinese to join
the re-organised Singapore
volunteer Corps, formed to
tackle lawlessness on the island.
To lead by example, Boon
Keng enlisted as a private in
the Chinese Company of the
Singapore volunteer Infantry
when it was established in 1901.
By then, he was already 32 years
old but his age did not seem to
put a stop to his zest.
Around the same time, together
with other prominent Straits-
born Chinese, Boon Keng
founded the Straits Chinese
British Association (SCBA) to
promote interest in the British
Empire and loyalty to the
Queen. Boon Keng served as
its president in 1904 and 1906.
The SCBA also led in advancing
the welfare of Chinese British
subjects in the Colony and
encouraging higher education.
During World War I (1914-1918),
Boon Keng garnered support
among Straits Chinese for the
Prince of Wales Relief fund
which was used to purchase
war planes. He also donated
generously and raised funds
for the British Red Cross to the
tune of more than $40,000 in
1916. In recognition of his work
on behalf of war charities, he
was awarded the order of the
British Empire (oBE) in 1918.
The ever-progressive Boon
Keng also believed that
Chinese girls needed an
all-round education, so he
and a small group of British-
educated Peranakan Chinese
men like Song ong Siang
and Tan Boo Liat founded the
Singapore Chinese Girls School
(SCGS), the frst English school
exclusively for Chinese girls in
1899. SCGS has become one
of the top girls schools in the
nation today.
ROOTED IN SERVICE
3 3
Lim Kok Ann (middle) with his
grandfather Lim Boon Keng
(right). (Photo courtesy of the
national Archives of Singapore)
ROOTED IN SERVICE
3 4
RAFFLESIAN TIMES
p
r
e
s
e
n
t
s
THE LARGEST
RAFFLESIAN
FAMILY
(That we know of)
3 5
LIM BOON KENG
1887
LIM KO LENG
DR LIM KOK ANN
1938
Head Boy
Queens Scholar
DR LIM SU MIN LIM SING PO
(STELLA KON)
1960
DR LIM SU CHONG LIM SU HUI
Pre U.I
LIM SING YUEN
TAN THOON HOR
ROSIE SEOW
(KHENG LIM)
1938
EILEEN TAN
1941
GLADYS TAN
1953
DORIS TAN
1956
LUKE ERIC
RAFFLESIAN TIMES
p
r
e
s
e
n
ts
THE LARGEST
RAFFLESIAN FAMILY
3 6
TAN BOON LIAT
1893
POLLY TAN
1915
MR TAN
LILIAN TAN
1951
TAN CHEW NEO
1915
TAN HAN NEO
1917
TAN HIN NEO
1916
GRACIA TAY
1939
PHYLLIS TAY
1940
SEOW POH LENG
Taught in RI between
1902 - 1904
CHIA YEE SOH
LIONEL TEO
JENNIFER TEO
1974
ELIZABETH TEO
(Pre-U)
AMY SEOW DR SEOW EU JIN
1939
JOHN SEOW
NORMAN
LILY TAN
1919
WEE SIEW KHENG
1934
JULIETTE TAN
1941
TAN CHOON LAY
S
i
s
t
e
r
RAFFLESIAN TIMES
p
r
e
s
e
n
ts
THE LARGEST
RAFFLESIAN FAMILY
3 7
DUKE SEOW SIEW JIN
1925
Head Boy
GORDON
JEFFERY
LIM GEK LAN
1927
O TAY
LIM GEK HONG
1929
LIM GEK KIM
1928
TAN TIAN TECK
1925
TAN KOON IN
EVELYN TAN
1952
PHYLIS TAN
1952
TAN CHEOW PIN
1895
TAN KWEE LIANG
1896
S
i
s
t
e
r
s
TAN CHEE SIM
1941
SEOW POH LENG
LIM KOON TECK
LILLIAN TAN
DAISY SONG
BETTY SEOW
TAN TOCK SENG
TAN KIM CHENG
TAN SOON TOH
3 8
LIM GEK CHOO
1930
LIM GEK NEO
1934
TANN YEN CHOO
1950
LIM GEK IM
1932
LIM GEK SIEW
1929
TAN SOCK HUA
1934
LIM HONG BEE
1963
Head Boy
Queens Scholar
ANNA LIM
1960
(Professor Patricia Lin,
Ph.D., Comparative
Literature & Critical Theory)
GILLIAN LIM
1962
(Ph.D., Architecture)
TAN KWEE SWEE
1897
TAN KWEE WAH
1898
TAN THOON LIP
1929
Head Boy
Queens Scholar
MAGGIE TAN
(DR MAGGIE LIM)
1930
Queens Scholar
3 9
The family tree of the
winners of the 1979 Old
Rafflesians Associations
ROOTS competition
4 0
CHAMPIONING PUBLIC
HEALTH
Just like his grandfather Lim
Boon Keng, Dr Lim Kok Ann (RI,
1938) was a Queens Scholar and
a brilliant doctor. The father of
Stella Kon was also a Head Boy
at RI. Kok Ann gained worldwide
fame in 1957 when he was the
frst to isolate the fu virus at
the height of an Asian infuenza
epidemic which had caused the
deaths of over a million people
worldwide, and he also worked
on a vaccine that brought the
epidemic to a stop.
Affectionately called the flu
fighter, Kok Ann had a long and
successful career as a research
scientist. In 1949, as a young
lecturer, he conducted the worlds
frst clinical trials of the new
Sabin polio vaccine for the World
Health organization (WHo).
Kok Ann oversaw the process
of administering the vaccine to
thousands of Singapore school
children. Because of these trials,
the once-dreaded disease of
polio has been almost eradicated
throughout the world.
Besides being the head of
Microbiology Department at
the University of Singapore
for nearly thirty years and later
Dean of the Medical School,
Kok Ann also worked for
the WHo in Singapore and
elsewhere in the world.
It was while working at the
Houston headquarters of
the WHo in 1959 that he
recorded his most memorable
professional achievement:
devising a simpler way to
identify enteroviruses (viruses
which cause enteritis). Instead
of running 49 different
identifcation tests for the 49
known types of enteroviruses,
Kok Anns method only required
six rounds of testing, with each
round testing for a combination
of several viruses.
It was the principle of the
football pools; another instance
of the playful element in the
Lim character, being put to
good use, Stella explained in a
tribute to her father.
Maggie and John were best
friends in Cambridge
(Photo courtesy of Professor
Patricia Lin)
ROOTED IN SERVICE
4 1
The idea of available
birth control
was perhaps (my
mothers) most
daring innovation,
one that placed her
at the forefront of
both international
recognition and
controversy.
PATRICIA LIN
Stellas grandaunt, Dr Maggie
Lim ne Tan, was also a trailblazer
in her time and a well-known
doctor who battled unwanted
pregnancies and fought for
better medical care for women
and children in Singapore.
Maggies father was the great-
grandson of Tan Tock Seng.
The extraordinarily intelligent
girl began her studies at Raffes
Girls School in 1919. She
skipped several grades and
completed the then equivalent
of secondary school at age
twelve. In those days, students
deemed to be material for
the Queens Scholarship were
placed in special preparatory
classes in RI and the minimum
age for contenders was 16. (My
mother) had to wait three years
before being permitted to join
the Queens Scholarship class in
1930, related Professor Patricia
Lin (RGS, 1960), her eldest
daughter. Maggie made history
by becoming the frst female
ever to win the prestigious
scholarship, a year after her
brother, John Tan Thoon Lip,
won it himself.
Like her ancestor Tan Tock
Seng who was moved to build
a hospital for the poor after he
saw the plight of the sick left
to die on the streets, Maggie
had a keen sense of societal
inequities. Her husband Lim
Hong Bees (RI, 1936) passionate
views about social justice also
helped to crystallise Maggies
commitment to the health and
welfare of the poor.
Maggie specialised in maternity
and child health. She was
concerned by the number of
women who had more children
than they could afford. Time
and again, women drained by
childbirth or poverty would beg
her to buy the newborn infant
they could not hope to support.
over and again she faced the
consequences of botched
abortions, related Professor Lin.
In 1949, she joined the newly-
founded family Planning
Association of Singapore as its
Honorary Medical offcer. The
association provided information
and services relating to birth
control. In her capacity, Maggie
expanded the associations work
by developing a network of
maternal and child care clinics
in the 1940s and 50s in Prinsep
Street, Tiong Bahru, Joo Chiat
and outram Road. Before
these clinics, there was nowhere
mothers with sick children could
turn to, or receive pre-natal
check ups and advice, her
daughter added. Maggie would
volunteer her time after work to
advise patients. And it was in
her work in these clinics that she
encountered the plight of
poor women faced with
unwanted pregnancies.
The idea of available birth
control was perhaps (my
mothers) most daring
innovation, one that placed
her at the forefront of both
international recognition and
controversy. The notion that
women could regulate their
own fertility went against the
established place of women
in a society that was locked in
centuries of cultural practices
that essentially negated the
idea of female individuality.
Even among the upper classes,
the whole notion that a
woman could control anything,
ROOTED IN SERVICE
4 2
Perhaps the biggest gift my mother made to
the world was the fact she was a forerunner
of the women of my generation who would
make up the womens movement of the 1960s.
PATRICIA LIN
including her reproductive
rights, was seen as an act of
rebellion. There were women
who had their devices and later
pills thrown out not only by
husbands but outraged mother-
in laws, Professor Lin shared.
The opposition that Maggie
and her team faced for
empowering women to control
their own fertility was recorded
in family Planning Association
of Singapores annual general
meeting in 1964: [they] faced
open opposition...consigned
to [burn] in hell for [their]
wickedness in interfering with
nature, and were accused of
corrupting the young and
scheming to depopulate the
earth. Apart from this and the
reluctance of women faced with
the stigma and embarrassment,
Maggie and her team also
faced some offcial indifference.
for her part, (Mother) knew
that the directions she took
were right: right for the poor,
right for the thousands of
women and children who came
through the doors of the clinics,
and right for the times. She was
supremely aware of her role as
a trailblazer and wasnt falsely
modest about her charge, said
Professor Lin.
But thanks to the elected
Peoples Action Party in 1959,
the government was willing to
sponsor an ambitious publicity
programme that Maggie
proposed. The programme
reached tens of thousands of
people, and within a few years
the number of visitors to the
associations clinics doubled.
In 1963, Maggie became the
head of Ministry of Healths
Maternity and Child Welfare
Department and succeeded
former President Benjamin
Sheares as the President of the
family Planning Association
of Singapore. In her capacity,
Maggie attended many
international family planning
conferences and was elected
to the International Planned
Parenthood federations
regional council.
Perhaps the biggest gift my
mother made to the world was
the fact she was a forerunner of
the women of my generation
who would make up the womens
movement of the 1960s,
Professor Lin proudly concluded.
ROOTED IN SERVICE
4 3
John Tan Thoon Lip was
the frst Asian to serve as
Registrar of the Supreme
Court of Singapore and was
instrumental in establishing
Southeast Asias frst state-
run Legal Aid Bureau.
(Photo courtesy of Professor
Patricia Lin)
MAKING JUSTICE
ACCESSIBLE TO THE
LESS PRIVILEGED
Maggies brother, John Tan
Thoon Lip, was equally brilliant,
privileged and compassionate. In
his education and legal career, he
had achieved many frsts.
He became the frst Singaporean
Queens Scholar in 1929. It
was a victory that went beyond
a personal achievement. for
several years, this prestigious
scholarship had been awarded
to candidates from Penang. His
achievement was collectively
shared by Singaporeans who had
for several years felt themselves
to have been overshadowed by
Penang, and RI even declared
a special holiday for the whole
school, Professor Lin said of her
uncle. John went on to study law
at St Johns College, Cambridge
and served as secretary of the
oRA in 1934. Beyond this, John
was also the frst Asian to serve as
Registrar of the Supreme Court
of Singapore, the frst Chinese
police magistrate in Singapore
and is best remembered for
making justice accessible to all,
especially the less privileged.
When he returned from England,
Johns talent and brilliance was
quickly recognised and put to
good use. He became one of the
frst two Asians accepted into the
Straits Settlements Civil Service
(SSCS) and in 1940, John joined
the new Straits Settlements
Legal Service which was
established to enable college-
educated young Asian or
Eurasian British subjects to work
in junior ranks of government.
ROOTED IN SERVICE
4 4
He was absolutely
missionary and
evangelical about it.
His mission was to
have a chessboard in
every home.
STELLA KON
After the war, John was recruited
by the postwar British Military
Administration as an assistant
legal offcer. After civilian rule
returned in early 1946, John
was appointed an acting district
judge, and shortly following that,
he became Deputy Registrar of
the Supreme Court and Sheriff of
Singapore in 1947only the third
native Singaporean elevated
to the Colonial Legal Service.
He was also Commissioner for
Workmens Compensation.
His most signifcant contribution
came when he became the
frst Asian to serve as Registrar
of the Supreme Court of
Singapore in 1952. In 1955
Singapores new Chief Minister
David Marshall sent him to new
South Wales to study its legal
aid programme. John returned
with recommendations for a
Singaporean programme, which
led to the launching of Southeast
Asias frst state-run Legal Aid
Bureau in 1958. It became a vital
part of Singapores legal system
in facilitating access to justice for
the less privileged.
The whole direction of his
career was directed at the
accessibility of legal services for
the layperson. At heart, John
was an infnitely compassionate
man and I believe this part of
his career was motivated by his
concern over access to justice,
the right to representation and
equality before the law for all.
Johns work in the municipal
and later Supreme Court were
career moves that were directed
at providing assistance to
people unable to afford legal
representation and access to the
court system, said Professor Lin.
PUTTING SINGAPORE ON
THE CHESS WORLD MAP
Besides making a name for
Singapore in the medical arena,
flu fighter Dr Lim Kok Ann
also put the small country on
the chess world map. Many
in Singapore would also
remember him as a spokesman
and promoter of the game.
for over forty years, he has
taught the game to others,
organised competitions,
collected funds and generally
built up this area of the national
sports feld. It is mostly due
to his efforts that in 1992,
Singapore could muster a
national Team for the Chess
olympiad in Manila, and
from our small population,
there were three International
Masters on that team, recalled
his daughter, Stella Kon, in an
article she wrote about her
father in 2003.
Kok Ann became Singapores
frst national Champion in 1949.
The chess advocate then went
on to win the national and British
veteran titles twice over, and
dedicated himself to developing
the chess scene in Singapore.
He was absolutely missionary
and evangelical about it.
His mission was to have a
chessboard in every home. He
gave a great deal of his time
going around schools teaching
and coaching and building up
the chess clubs, Stella recalled.
He taught schoolboys and
schoolgirls, university students,
and even blind students, using
his own teaching system called
the Bartley system (having frst
been used at Bartley School).
ROOTED IN SERVICE
4 5
Singapores 1st National
Champion, Dr Lim Kok Ann
devoted much of his time in
popularising chess in Singapore
and putting in place training
and selection structures
ROOTED IN SERVICE
4 6
Actors who played
Emily (from left): neo
Swee Lin, Ivan Heng,
Stella Kon, Pearlly
Chua and Jalyn Han
(Photo courtesy of
Peranakan Museum)
He set up the Singapore
Chess federation, became
its frst President, organised
competitions and tournaments,
and raisedalmost
singlehandedlymillions
of dollars for chess events.
Singapores welfare and survival
depends on our own intellectual
and social skillsnot manpower
numbers but on brainpower.
Moreover, mere technological
know-how would not be
suffcient; you need wisdom,
too. A chess player learns
to develop his mental skills:
wisdom comes from within by
interaction with other chess
players, Kok Ann would say
to potential sponsors of chess
events, telling them that playing
chess was good for both the
individual and the nation.
After retiring from the medical
fraternity, he went to Switzerland
in 1982 to become the Secretary
General of the World Chess
federation (fIDE). In 2012,
10 years after his death, fIDE
honoured Dr Lim Kok Ann with
a Candidate Master title. This
year, the federation organised
a Lim Kok Ann Memorial Blitz
Tournament to commemorate
his 10th death anniversary.
THE ART OF BRINGING
SINGAPORE ONTO THE
WORLD STAGE
The love of theatre ran strong
in Stellas family, stemming
from her grandfather, Seow
Poh Leng, whom she had never
met. Poh Leng, was one of the
few English-educated Chinese
deeply imbued with English
literary tradition and even took
part in amateur theatricals
in the early 1930s. And as a
great lover of Shakespeare,
Poh Leng named one of his
housesa seaside bungalow in
SiglapTitania; and his house
4 7
Rosie Seow aka Kheng
Lim was a serious actress,
theatre buff and play-
goer, having amassed a
huge collection of theatre
programmes of plays
seen in Singapore
and abroad
(Photo courtesy of
Professor Patricia Lin)
A family photo of Seow
Poh Leng, Polly Seow
(whose life was the
inspiration behind Stella
Kons character, Emily,
in Emily of Emerald
Hill), Rosie Seow and Dr
Seow Sieu Jin (RI 1939,
Head Boy)
(Photo courtesy of
Stella Kon)
And as a great lover of Shakespeare, Poh Leng
named one of his housesa seaside bungalow
in Siglap, Titania; and his house on Emerald
Hill, Oberon. Oberon has since been, in a
way, immortalised in Singapore theatre, as
the mansion in Emily of Emerald Hill.
on Emerald Hill, oberon.
oberon has since been, in a
way, immortalised in Singapore
theatre, as the mansion in Emily
of Emerald Hill. I suppose
this would have pleased him!
laughed Stella.
Poh Lengs love of theatre must
have also greatly infuenced his
daughter and Stellas mother,
Rosie Seow, who became an
actress and went by her stage
name, Kheng Limthe Chinese
form of her name Guat
Kheng after her marriage to
Lim Kok Ann.
Kheng studied in Raffes
Girls School and then Raffes
College (which later became
the national University of
Singapore) in 1939.
In December 1941, while she was
still an undergraduate in Raffes
College, Kheng acted in oscar
Wildes The Importance of Being
Earnest. She was the governess,
Miss Prism, and acting opposite
her was former Minister Mentor,
Harry Lee Kuan Yew, who
played Canon Chasuble. The
cast also included former Law
Minister Eddie Barker. At the
height of the fnal rehearsals,
with the looming threat of the
Japanese invasion, we lost our
director who was called up as
a reservist by the British Army.
our geography lecturer who
took over was also working in
the evenings at Radio Malaya
Broadcasting, monitoring
war news. So he could only
come after his duty period
and we would begin
rehearsing after midnight,
she wrote in her memoirs.
She left for Britain when war
broke out to join her then fanc,
Lim Kok Ann, who was studying
medicine in Cambridge.
Between 1952 and 1953, at the
age of 30, Kheng entered the
Royal Academy of Dramatic
Art, one of the worlds most
prestigious drama schools. She
performed as Lady Hardcastle in
She Stoops To Conquer.
She was a serious actress in
Singapore theatre in the 50s
and 60s, Stella said. on the
Singapore stage, Kheng acted
as Desdemona in Othello, the
Empress Dowager in the Chinese
Imperial drama, Motherly and
Auspicious, Silver Stream in Lady
Precious Stream, as well as Ariel
in an open-air production of The
Tempest by Peter Wise.
With such great infuences in her
life, it is no surprise Stella found
her fair in writing and theatre.
Like her mother and grandfather,
Stella has put her stamp in
Singapore theatre. The award-
ROOTED IN SERVICE
4 8
Stella performed in
King Henry vIII put up
by the Raffes Players
(Photo courtesy of
Stella Kon) winning playwright brought Emily
of Emerald Hill, the enduring and
famous one-woman play onto
the world stage.
The play won the first Prize
in the national Play-Writing
Competition 1983. Since
then, Emily of Emerald Hill
has been presented more
than a hundred times, by
eight different performers, in
Singapore, Malaysia, Hawaii
and Edinburgh. It has been
translated into Chinese and
Japanese and even broadcast
over Radio Iceland.
Her love for writing began as
a nine-year-old girl studying
in Raffes Girls School. In the
old school, there were two
porches at the entrance. In
those porches was a little annex
where girls would wait. So that
became a tiny theatrette and
the end-of-term plays were
performed there, she recalled.
Stella had many opportunities
to develop her talent at RGS.
The frst play she wrote was one
that was assigned to her and
her schoolmates. My teacher
asked us to write a play based
on a story she had called The
fisherman and the King
because she happened to have
a very big wicker fsh. The rest
of the girls said it could not be
done. I went ahead and wrote
it in my little jotter book, Stella
related. The play was later
performed by her classmates.
At the age of 15, Stella
directed and produced a class
production of Twelfth Night
which featured her aunt and
playmate, Professor Lin, as
Sebastian. They attended RGS
at the same time.
Developing stories came
naturally to Stella even as a child:
I had been watching my mom
act in drama for years. I was also
acting out my little stories and
dramas for myself, so it didnt
seem a long stretch to write it for
others, she explained.
Stellas writings focus mainly
on themes that are distinctly
Singaporean, such as national
awareness, moral values,
cultural and social heritage,
and personal integrity, and she
has been highly successful at
portraying the Singaporean
consciousness. Quite evident
in her works, too, are her
Catholic heritage and strong
interest in fantasy. Stella had
most of her writing successes
in the early eighties. She
ROOTED IN SERVICE
4 9
Professor Patricia Lin
(Anna Patricia Lim),
pictured on the far left,
was one of the pioneers
in Tv presenting. (Photo
courtesy of Professor
Patricia Lin)
If I look at my earlier
plays, they are full
of lyrics. Ive been
writing lyrics all
this while without
realising that a
musical would be
the perfect vehicle
for my expression.
STELLA KON
won frst prize on all three
occasions when the Ministry of
Culture organised the national
Playwriting Competition in
1979 (The Bridge), 1982 (The
Trial and Other Plays) and 1985
(Emily of Emerald Hill). Her
favourite work, ESTON, won a
Merit Award in the Singapore
Literature Prize Competition
of 1994.
Even at 69, Stella continues to
be actively involved in shaping
the theatrical landscape in
Singapore. She is currently
working on EmilyThe Musical,
writing lyrics for the songs. If I
look at my earlier plays, they are
full of lyrics. Ive been writing
lyrics all this while without
realising that a musical would
be the perfect vehicle for my
expression, she quipped. Emily
The Musical, is slated to be
staged at the end of the year.
Besides theatre, another
member of the family also
broke new ground in the area of
Singapore television. Professor
Patricia Lin became one of the
frst presenters on the then Tv
Malaya at 16 years of age. I went
for an audition and screen test.
Maureen (the producer) looked
me over, said Youll do
Along the way, I was absorbed
into the radio staff as an
announcer and fell delightedly
ROOTED IN SERVICE
5 0
Along the way, I was absorbed into the radio
staff as an announcer and fell delightedly
into producing and recording a variety of
radio programmes.
PATRICIA LIN
Professor Patricia Lin
(Anna Patricia Lim).
into producing and recording a
variety of radio programmes,
she recalled fondly. Professor
Lin went on to obtain her PhD
and taught at the California
State University, Pomona, for
over 30 years. She is now retired.
Professor Lin, together with
Stella and some other family
members, has been actively
keeping historical records and
writing about the contributions
of their eminent ancestors.
And thanks to their efforts, it is
clear to see that this family of
old Raffesians were trailblazers
in the felds of medicine,
law, the arts, philanthropy,
and even chess; making a
difference in lives of people
and helping to build the nation
they passionately serve. This
family of old Raffesians has
indeed left behind a legacy and
indelible footprints for future
Raffesians to follow.
ROOTED IN SERVICE
5 1
The Time Machine
Teacher
Pranks from
the 1990s
BY DOMINIC CHUA
Mrs Lim Jee Nee, an English Language and Literature teacher who
has been with the school since its Grange Road days, shares with us
her recollection of pranks which RI teachers played on their hapless
students from the early to mid-1990s.
5 2
Shantis
New
Element
All this while, we
(the teachers)
were completely
oblivious of
the commotion
going on in the
General Offce,
with Mrs Pauline
Lim scolding a
seemingly endless
stream of boys!
We really got it
from her at the
end of that day.
THE TIME MACHINE
Teacher Pranks from the 1990s
#1
Ap
Ha
Fo Da
Mrs Shanti Sundram was a
Chemistry teacher, and one of
the frst few teachers to teach
the frst batches of the Gifted
Education Programmes (GEP)
secondary programme when it
started. She had an MSc, and
very few teachers had a Masters
in those days.
So she went and told her class,
one April fools Day, that a
new element had been found
and discovered. The reaction
of half of the class was one of
incredulitythey asked her
questions like How is this
possible? and Whats going to
happen to the Periodic Table?
The other half of the class
never asked any questions and
just copied whatever she was
telling them.
At lessons end Shanti (Mrs
Sundram) fashed a transparency
with the words Happy April
fools Day!but there was a
bigger point to her prank: those
who questioned had thought
critically while those who didnt
had a long way more to go.
In Search
of the
ID10T
Form
#2
5 3
Lim, the admin offcer and
unoffcial queen of the front
offce? The whole offce went into
a frenzy looking for ID10T forms!!
The teachers had sent the
monitors to the offce to pick up
the forms, and the monitors were
duly scolded and returned to
their classes empty-handed. Then
we sent the assistant monitors.
All this while, we (the teachers)
were completely oblivious of
the commotion going on in the
General offce, with Mrs Pauline
Lim scolding a seemingly endless
stream of boys! We really got it
from her at the end of that day.
Those of us teachers who were
in the school from 19921993
never forgot this jokewe
thought it was brilliant. And you
know what its likewe were
sitting in the staff room, and the
1st of April was just around the
corner. I told everyone about
what Mrs Shanti Sundram did for
April fools, and then Mrs nora
de Silva, always creative and
quick-witted, hit on the idea of
the ID10T form. And in those
days, before the advent of mass
computing, there really were a
lot of forms in the offce. If you
changed address, you flled in a
form, you changed citizenship,
you flled in a form. There were
forms named form G, form
S and so on, which the offce
would have, sitting in all these
pigeonholes in the General
offce. It was in the vocabulary
of the studentsthese forms
with alpha-numeric names.
The frst time we played this joke
was on the Sec 1 GEP boys in
1991we sent the students to
the offce to get the ID10T form.
And the next year when we
did it again, we played with all
the Sec 1s, including the
Express boys. But the frst year
was doubly hilarious, because
when we played this joke, we
forgot to inform the offce!
And you remember Mrs Pauline
THE TIME MACHINE
Back row, extreme right:
Mrs nora de Silva
Sitting on the right in
the front row is Mr S
Magendiran, our schools
current Senior Deputy
Principal of Student
Development &
Alumni Relations
5 4
So after that, April fools Day became something of a tradition during
which RI teachers would prank their students, with the only criteria
being that it had to be an intelligent joke. In 1992, Ms Jeanne Marie
Ho and Iboth English Literature teacherscame up with a prank
around the Secondary 2 boys literature text, William Goldings Lord
of the Flies in class.
The story we spun was that William Golding, a teacher (he really was a
teacher) had brought a group of boys out to an island (we invented one).
In our version of history, William Golding was inexplicably separated
from his class for a full day, and this incident formed the inspiration
for the writing of Lord of the flies. And so we told our classes to do
researchto fnd out what actually happened to Goldings students
during that one day.
We planned it so well, you know. We found an academic journal in the
library, typed out a page in a font that more or less resembled that
used in the journal, inserted the page inside the bookit contained a
fctitious story, and at the end of it, a wish for a Happy April fools.
And the boys were so goodwhen they realised that it was a joke,
they replied in kind, in the most creative ways. Their reports (because
we had asked for the research to be submitted) came in the form of
shape poems (one boy wrote a shape poem in the shape of a circle)
and limericks, others used mathematical equations (if this then that, and
there was something about shear forces!), and yet another boy came up
with a pretty inventive story about the island sitting on some continental
plate and how plate movement produced an earthquake (that led to
Golding being separated from his students). The boys applied what
theyd been learning about in other disciplines, and that was fantastic
and really rewarding for us as teachers.
The Lost Boys
#3
THE TIME MACHINE
5 5
N
a
t
i
o
n
a
l
Day
F
la
sh
ca
rd

C
o
n
t
i
n
g
e
n
t
We also played a joke on the
whole Secondary 3 level. We
got the fercest teacher we
could fnd, Mr Moses Wong,
because we knew the students
were least likely to suspect a
prank from him. We got him to
write a memo to the Secondary
3 students using the school
letterhead. The note went
something like this:
Dear Boys, due to unforeseen
circumstances, all RI Sec 3
students have been asked to take
part in the national Day Parade
flashcard Contingent. The
following boys are exempted:
1) All students who wear
spectacles
2) All students who are
left-handed
3) Students from Malaysia
The following are the rehearsal
dates (they were all Sundays!).
We also planned answers to
questions that the students
would probably raise, and how
to break it to the boys that it
was an April fools joke. one
more memorable one involved
the teachers creating fashcards
of letters to take into class that
would form the words Aprils
foolthe boys were told to
form a word using the letters
as part of a rehearsal for the
frst practice! The word was, of
course, April fool.
As we predicted, the boys asked
about the strange exemptions.
We gave them the silliest answers
we could think of, but they took us
so seriously!
Centre: Mr Moses Wong
As we predicted, the
boys asked about the
strange exemptions.
We gave them the
silliest answers we
could think of,
but they took us
so seriously!
#4
THE TIME MACHINE
5 6
Why are students who wear
spectacles exempted, maam?
oh, you know, because
fashcard contingents cannot
have spectacles refecting the
sunlight, otherwise itll dazzle
the spectators on the opposite
end of the stadium.
Why not left-handed guys,
maam?
oh, because you need the right
hand to fip the fashcards.
There was one question we
didnt anticipatewe didnt
have very many foreign
students in the school at that
time, and they were mainly
Malaysians. We forgot that we
had Indonesian students too!
So one Indonesian boy (in Mrs
Albas class I believe) stood
upI am Indonesian, why am I
not exempted?
Because we buy water from
Malaysia, was her poker-
faced reply.
All this happened between
1991 and 1993. I went off to
MoE HQ after that, and wasnt
sure if the teachers kept up the
April fools tradition, but we
lived for April fools Day! Every
time it came around wed all be
buzzing in the staff lounge, oh,
whats the next joke to play on
the boys?
Those were really the days. I met
one of my ex-students recently,
and as we were catching up he
said, Wah you teachers ah, Ill
never forget that national Day
flashcard joke.
There was really a bigger point
to all our prankswe wanted
to show the boys how to play
pranks with more class. In the
schools Grange Road days,
one of the more common types
of April fools jokes involved
getting teachers wet or dirty. for
example, some boys went so far
as rigging up a pail, flled with
water, and another flled with
four, to a doorand then when
female teachers went into class
they would get soaked. It was
really terrible.
We wanted to teach our
students what good jokes
looked like, and that if you
want to play a good joke, it
takes planning and effort.
We also wanted to show our
students not to take themselves
too seriously, how to see the
humour in life and how to laugh
at themselves.
We wanted to teach
our students what
good jokes looked
like, and that if
you want to play a
good joke, it takes
planning and effort.
THE TIME MACHINE
5 7
HOW DID IT FEEL LIKE,
BACK WHEN RJC
SEPARATED FROM RI?
Mrs Tan
It was very toughit took us
a number of years to fnish
separating our events from
RJC. We separated in 1982,
and I think the last event
before we separated was
founders Day. our track
and feld events, prize giving
ceremonies and a lot of other
functions were still together,
and only after the third year
following the separation did
we split functions. We also
wanted to change the RJC
uniform, but there was strong
opposition from old boys. Even
the badge was to be changed
but everyone protested. So
nothing could be done. The
principal, Mr Rudy Mosbergen,
struggled a lot, I remember.
WHY WAS SEPARATION
EVEN NECESSARY?
Mrs Tan
other schools were already
following the JC systemfor
example, the lecture-tutorial
systemso RI had to move
ahead as well.
WHAT WAS IT LIKE
AFTER SEPARATION?
Mrs Tan
The temporary JC campus
at Paterson didnt have many
facilities so we had to use some
facilities on the RI side. During the
two years at Paterson, we didnt
really feel separated because we
shared facilities with RIlabs,
gymnasiums; the boys even used
to walk to the RJC side canteen
during break. It was only when we
moved to Mt Sinai that we really
felt the separation.
A Tale of
Two Teachers
The Teacher
BY SUSHMA PAI 14S03R AnD DIVYA MUTHIAH 14S06C
This column features the story of RI and RJC through the perspective of two teachers Mrs Tan Mui Hong
and Ms Koo Mee Ling. Both teachers started their teaching career here in Raffes in the late 1980s and
have been here ever since, making them two of our longest serving staff. Mrs Tan and Ms Koo are both
Math teachers from the Year 14 and Year 56 sides respectively. In an interview with Raffes Press they
shared their thoughts on how the school has evolved in the past few years.
THE TEACHER
Ms Koo Mee Ling & Mrs Tan Mui Hong
Ms Koo Mee Ling
Mrs Tan Mui Hong
5 8
The main blow was felt mainly by
the secondary school students.
The Sec 4s, who were considered
young then, had to suddenly
take up leadership roles because
the Year 5s and 6s who were
previously running the school
events were all pulled out of
the school. It must have been
daunting for them.
That said, the leaders from Year
5 and Year 6 did go back to
RI side, and they were the
ones who still ran the CCA.
So it was a gradual change for
the secondary side, which was a
good move.
YOUVE SEEN SO MANY
BATCHES OF STUDENTS OVER
THE YEARSHAVE THEY
CHANGED SINCE THEN?
Mrs Tan
Defnitely. (Teachers laugh and
give each other knowing looks)
Ms Koo
Defnitely.
IN WHAT WAY?
Mrs Tan
Were saying that our current
students are like a bunch of
tuition kids. Its a very different
generation now. The students in
the eighties played and worked
hard, which is the real, true
tradition of Raffes. They knew
when to play and when to work.
So actually, Im very impressed
by them.
But I think the culture is quite
different now. our students
always feel so stressed
because they are worried
about their marks whereas
they never worried that much
in the past. Although students
back then still had to study
hard for their A-Level and
o-Level exams, the worrying
was less before the Integrated
Programme. The competition
is very stiff now among the
students. That somehow kills
the fun of studying.
Also, I think there are more
distractions now for students,
unlike in the past, when those
who were interested just spent
all their time studying so they
were very knowledgeable. Even
without all the iPhones and
technology, what they had was
knowledge. now, our students
have too many distractions
and they do not have the time
to really sit down and actually
digest what they learn. So every
day just passes by like that. Too
many things happen.
THE TEACHER
5 9
HOW DO YOU FEEL WITH
EACH GRADUATING BATCH
OF STUDENTS?
Mrs Tan
I used to feel sad, but not
anymore now because they just
move next door. In the past,
theyd go to Mount Sinai and I
would hardly meet them until
Teachers Day when they came
to visit me.
But it must be easier for the
Year 56 teachers, like Ms Koo.
I remember when I used to
teach in the JC side, I didnt
feel that sad as it was a very
short period of just one and a
half years. So the rapport with
the students is not as strong.
Moreover, with technology and
social networks like facebook
and Whatsapp, keeping in
touch is never a problem. In
fact my students in Cambridge
every now and then will just tell
me today it snowed again. So
you dont feel the parting pain
as much as in the past.
Ms Koo
Were always just trying to
complete the tutorials as much as
we can and are tight with time.
Mrs Tan
Thats trueIn fact when I taught
in the JC side, what I did was
that I brought my marking down
to the canteen so that I could
meet up with my students and
chit-chat with them while doing
it. Because if not, there is no
chance to talk to them. During
tutorials, there is only time to
catch up with the lectures.
COULD YOU SHARE WITH US
SOME MEMORABLE EVENTS
OR INTERESTING STUDENTS
YOUVE ENCOUNTERED IN
YOUR TEACHING CAREER?
Mrs Tan
When I left the JC side to go
to the RI side I missed having
girls. Girls are generally more
sensitive. Like during valentines
Day, the girls used to bake
cookies, bring cupcakes and
all to show their appreciation
for the teachersI think its still
happening now. But over at the
RI side, they are young boys
so they dont really care much
about valentines DayI really
missed it when I moved from
RJC to RI.
Ms Koo
Whenever we had the
Singapore Youth festival (SYf),
the band practiced in the feld
which was in the middle of the
academic block at the Grange
Road Campus, so the whole
school used to come down to
watch them, cheer them on
during their competition and
so on. It was very diffcult to
conduct lessons with the band
playing and all the marching
going on so sometimes SYf
week was declared a holiday
this also gave students time
to practice.
Moreover, the classroom system brings
students and teachers closer together as
compared to in JC, where teachers have to
rush to complete the syllabus in what little
time they have. So they dont have time to
really sit down and interact.
MS KOO MEE LING
THE TEACHER
Ms Koo Mee Ling & Mrs Tan Mui Hong
6 0
Mrs Tan
one year, we decided to start
a pull-out groupit was in
1992 and we decided to try
something new. At that time,
I was the HoD of Math and
we still had o-Levels. So we
took out all the weaker Sec 3
students from each class, those
scoring f9s and all. The school
was willing to buy a container
rooma metal box, where
we housed this small group of
students and I taught them.
That means that only for Math,
they would come out of their
classes to this class. We tried it
out for a year, and the results
were fantasticnone of them
failed in the end and the lowest
was a B3 for o levels.
Just recently, I met one of these
boys, and he told me something
that made me feel really happy:
Every time we had to leave our
classroom to go to this small
unpleasant container room,
the feeling that I got was as if I
was going home. Actually, we
were supposed to try out for
only a term and then pull the
better students out, but nobody
wanted to leave the class. It was
really touching to hear him say
that and that is the beautiful
part about teaching. The joy you
derive from every student you
teach is really something that
you cannot describe.
MOVING ON TO A LIGHTER
TOPIC, WHAT DO YOU THINK
OF THE SCHOOL FACILITIES,
THE CANTEEN FOOD
VARIETY AND ALL? WAS THE
FOOD BETTER IN THE PAST
OR THE PRESENT?
Mrs Tan
I dont understand why the
Year 5s and 6s want to come to
the Year 14 canteen. The Year
56 side has more variety and
tastes better. I always go over
to the Year 56 canteen to buy
food, and Im like can you see
were walking here and theyre
walking there? I think you all
are very lucky as the food is very
nice whereas it can be improved
at the Year 14 side.
In the past, we had a really good
prata stall. In fact, my husband
till now still misses the prata
from that stall! But I must say the
hygiene level was very low last
time. Its so much better now,
even though the price is a bit stiff
at times nowadays.
Ms Koo
Its more expensive now
because the stalls are
contracted out and the
shopkeepers have to pay for
rental and all that.
WHAT DO YOU FEEL ABOUT
THE FUTURE OF RI? WHAT
CHANGES DO YOU WISH
TO SEE?
Mrs Tan
I was very excited when our
new Minister of Education
announced our new focus
for this year to be character
education, so I really hope to
see not just RI but the whole
system changing. I want them
to learn a lot of other things
from me, not just Math. So I
really hope to see a school
where all my students look
forward to come to school. If I
speak in terms of kinematics,
I want to see my students
come to school with increasing
velocity and be reluctant to
leave the school and leave with
decreasing velocity. Just like my
student, who walked to school
feeling like he was returning
home, and who loved school
and enjoyed every moment of
his lessons. I want them to enjoy
learning as a process and not
just as a means to get As.
The joy you derive from every
student you teach is really
something that you cannot describe.
MRS TAN MUI HONG
THE TEACHER
6 1
MRS TAN MUI HONG
If I speak in terms of kinematics, I want
to see my students come to school with
increasing velocity and be reluctant
to leave the school and leave with
decreasing velocity.
6 2
Raffes
Romances
6 3
How did you meet each other?
We were both teaching the
same class then, 10S06T, but
we were merely acquaintances.
We were offcially introduced to
each other by a couple of our
teacher colleagues in RI, when
they organised badminton
sessions for a group of
colleagues and invited us.

Do you believe in destiny?
How does your belief relate
to your relationship?
Alex
Yes, I believe in that. The past
relationships were all lessons to
be learnt. no one is perfect but
I am improving and will continue
to work hard to be xinyis best
companion and soulmate.
Xinyi
If I had met Alex during my
younger/uni days, I would
probably not fall in love with
him! So I really do believe in
meeting the right person at the
right time and that everything
will just fall into place nicely,
without having to work too hard
to get things right :)
Who has given you the best
relationship advice and what
was it?
We guess we knew at the
back of our minds that
communication is important
for a lasting relationship.
However, it was during a
marriage preparation course
which we recently attended that
really emphasised to us that
communication is the key to
sustaining a relationship. We are
really glad that every moment
we spent together is one flled
with joy and laughter. It was
when we realized that we could
speak our minds freely and share
with each other simply anything
under the sun that we started
our relationship :)
If you had to pick a song that
summed up your relationship,
what would it be?
The song has to be Lucky by
Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat.
We are both lucky that we are
in love with our best friends!
Every little thing that we do as
a couplefrom a simple meal
at the kopitiam, to nonsensical
chats we have, to catching a
movie, and walking home from
the car park, has always been so
enjoyable, as long as we have
each others company.
Mr Alex Ang
Assistant
Department
Head,
Admissions
Ms Ng Xinyi
Former teacher
in RI (June 2009
December 2011)
1.
However, it was
during a marriage
preparation course
which we recently
attended that really
emphasised to us that
communication is
the key to sustaining
a relationship.
6 4
We met in Catholic Junior
College. We were in JC 1 and
happened to be in Badminton
CCA and the Students Council
together. It was our frst time in
a relationship and we werent
sure if it would last, so we said,
Lets see how it goes for...ten
years? It was a purely random
number at that time! As it turned
out, we dated for a decade, and
celebrated our tenth anniversary
by tying the knot.

Its nice to believe that destiny
brought us together because we
discovered that we clicked very
well. But successful relationships
require real effort, open
communication, trust and give-
and-take from both parties to
work. It was the same for us.
In your relationship, whos
more romantic and whos
more practical?
During the frst few years of
our relationship, we both did
romantic things like gifting
handcrafted presents or
planning special birthday
surprises for each other. Were
both rather practical and it
didnt take long for our practical
sides to surface.

what would it be?
That song would be More Than
Words by Extreme.
2.
Mr Bernard
Low
Head, Character
& Citizenship
Education,
Year 14
Ms Imelda
Chang
Assistant
Department
Head, Student
Leadership
But successful
relationships require
real effort, open
communication, trust
and give-and-take
from both parties
to work. It was the
same for us.
RAFFLES ROMANCES
Rafflesian Couples
6 5
Carlsen
We were in the same orientation
group in RJC in 1996. our oG
had regular outings throughout
the year. In J2, a group of us
stayed in school till night time
to study for our A-Levels. During
our study breaks, we played
basketball or had meals at Ghim
Moh hawker centre. We became
good friends over those two
years and spent hours talking
on the phone. I only asked her
to be my girlfriend after we
graduated from RJC, just before
I enlisted into the army. (I was
afraid to lose her since our paths
were diverging.)
3.
What was the frst thing you
noticed about each other?
Carlsen
Well, the frst thing I noticed was
that she was a RGS prefect with
her different uniform! More than
that, she was a cute, bubbly little
girl who would go all red when
something funny happened.
She was also an obvious leader
amongst her peers as her RGS
mates all voted her to be our
orientation group leader. But I
guess, the frst impression that
she left on me was that she
cherished friendships, which was
apparent in how she organised
outings and made gifts for
her friends. (She, on behalf of
the girls, made a personalized
valentines Day gift for all the
guys using a corkboard and our
oG photo)
Janice
I thought his name was
Gao Sheng when we were
introducing ourselves, but his
name caught my eye when I
compiled the name list because
it was actually Carlsen! That left
a lasting impression. The male
oG leader was not helping me
to organise anything so I was
very thankful that Carlsen was
so willing to help contact the
guys. His helpfulness struck me
despite not having the need or
responsibility to do so.
Mr Carlsen Tay
Teacher, Physical
Education, Year
56
Ms Janice
Sharon Chen
RGS, 1995; RJC,
1997
RAFFLES ROMANCES
Rafflesian Couples
6 6
We believe God has brought us
together. our common belief
in Christ is our foundation and
anchor for our relationship.
Because of Gods love for us,
we learn what it means to love
each other, being faithful in spite
of our faults, weaknesses and
ugliness. Knowing that our God
has shown us undeserved grace
in forgiving us helps us to forgive
when we have hurt the other.
Even though we are different, we
learn to complement each other
to work towards our common
goals and perspectives for family
life, parenting, fnances, and
relationships with others.
What is the most romantic
thing you have ever done as
a couple?
Carlsen
I guess it would be the wedding
proposal. In 2004, I organized a
gathering for our close RJ mates
back at the old Mount Sinai
campus after RJC had moved
to Bishan. The reason was to
reminisce over our good old
days. So, I planned a treasure
hunt game where they had to
go around in groups to fnd
certain locations using the
riddles provided and to fnd a
clue that was hidden there.
of course, I briefed all our
friends about the PLAn and they
all willingly played along. only
Janice was unaware (though she
already guessed the PLAn by
the second checkpoint!). After
they cleared all the checkpoints,
the teams gathered back at the
canteen where Janice had to
unravel all the clues which spelt
out: Dear Janice, would you
grow old together with me? So,
yup, that was probably the most
romantic thing we did and it felt
all the more wonderful because
we had our close friends there
with us.
Even though we are different, we learn to
complement each other to work towards our
common goals and perspectives for family
life, parenting, fnances, and relationships
with others.
RAFFLES ROMANCES
Rafflesian Couples
6 7
We met during the national
examinations briefng at
the MoE auditorium. our
respective schools assigned us
as the Chief Presiding Examiner
and the Presiding Examiner in
that year.
What was the frst thing you
noticed about each other?
Puay Hong
Her seemingly snobbish
attitude caught my attention!
Phui Jiun
He wrote beautifully in cursive.
4.
Mr Yeo Puay
Hong
Teacher,
Aesthetics,
Year 14
Ms Lee Phui
Jiun
Assistant
Department
Head,
Community
Involvement
Programme,
Year 14
Who has given you the best
relationship advice and what
was it?
our sisters gave us the best
relationship adviceCommit
to quality time together on a
regular basis.
what would it be?
Then by Brad Paisley.
Our sisters gave us
the best relationship
adviceCommit to
quality time together
on a regular basis.
RAFFLES ROMANCES
Rafflesian Couples
6 8
Charles Dickens once wrote that
no one is useless in this world
who lightens the burdens of
another. Raffes Interact, which
celebrates its 50th anniversary this
year, is a CCA founded on this
fundamental tenet of giving back
to society. It is the frst Interact
club to be founded in Singapore,
and this year marks a key
milestone in the history of a CCA
that has devoted itself selfessly to
those in need.
Raffes Interact frst started
out in 1963 as a youth
service club with links to
Rotary International, a global
organisation that works to
advance global understanding,
good-will and peace. from
1
An annual
event where
voluntary Welfare
organisations
(vWos) from across
Singapore set up
booths to advertise
their respective
causes, attracting
youths who go there
looking for a cause
to serve in
2
An annual event to
raise awareness of the
visually handicapped
and the diffculties
they face
Service
Before Self
BY TAN JUN XIANG 14S06C, LAKSHMANAN LAKSHMI 14S06B, VANATHI RAJARAJAN 14S05B
This year marks the 50th Anniversary of Raffes Interact, a CCA with an
illustrious history of community service involvement. In this article, we
take a closer look at one of the largest CCAs in RI (Y5-6) by speaking
with Eugene Lim, the immediate past chairman of Raffes Interact and his
father Mr Lim Seng Hock, the frst chairperson of RJC Interact.
SERVICE BEFORE SELF
Raffles Interact Turns Fifty
Raffes Interact Turns Fifty
a small club with barely 20
members, it has now evolved
into a highly respected CCA
with over 300 applicants
every year that organises
many meaningful initiatives
such as Youth Got Heart
1
and
Dine in the Dark
2
. In a school
often stereotyped as being
overly focused on studies and
grades, it is indeed heartening
to witness the empathy and
passion many students have for
the less fortunate in our society.
Its a huge difference from how
it was in 1982, the frst year of
the re-created RJC Interact
(following the separation of RI
and RJC). for one, they lacked
access to much of the resources
6 9
Partly due to the lack of
resources and technology at
the time, many of the projects
conducted by the old RJC
Interact were on a smaller scale
as well. Mr Lim fondly recalls
the service sessions he went
for, along with projects such as
a Mooncake festival, where
the interactors actually brought
old folks to RI itself to take part
in the festivities. Apart from
reaching out to the community,
RJC Interact also worked to
forge alliances with Interact Clubs
from other schools, with Mr Lim
recalling organizing a mini-
conference attended by Interact
Clubs from the entire region.
However, the guiding ethos
of the Interact Club has never
differed across the years. As Mr
Lim puts it, Service above self
is the motto of Interact. That
has not changed over the years.
now the activities are better,
bigger, and more varied.
Mr Lim Seng Hock is
standing third from the left
The RJC Interact Club
performing at a Mooncake
festival celebration for
the aged
SERVICE BEFORE SELF
and funding that Raffes Interact
has today. Mr Lim remarks,
from what Ive heard from
Eugene, its very different today
[as compared to in the past].
We had a lot less funding, and
we had to source funding from
our own activities. fundraising
activities at the time ranged from
the more typical activities, like
selling merchandise and food,
to the more outlandish, such as
painting houses for money.
7 0
7 1
But I think the aim for those
who are in the Interact Club
remains the same, and that is
the desire to serve and to help
the community.
In fact, the Interact club, as
part of its celebration of its
50th Anniversary, has designed
a new logo with the goal of
emphasising these core guiding
values. Eugene Lim (13A01C)
explained that [Interact] hopes
to reaffrm our values like direct
service and reaching out to make
sure that our service is a lifelong
service. While the Interact
movement already has a logo
of its own, the club wanted to
create a logo specifc to Raffes
itself. As Eugene explains it, the
logo contains a gryphon, an I
and four circles representing
the four core Raffesian values
of fortitude, Integrity, Respect
and Enterprise. Everything
however is still contained within
a heart. Its easy to see how this
logo uniquely refects the core
ethos of the Raffes Interact
Club, starting from the individual
(represented by the I) within
Raffes (represented by the
gryphon and the four circles)
possessing a larger heart for
service to the wider community.
Interact is not just
a movement in RI,
there are more
than 33,000 clubs
worldwide in more
than 100 countries.
SERVICE BEFORE SELF
Even while it celebrates its 50th
Anniversary, Raffes Interact
is not resting on its laurels.
Eugene explains that [Interact
is] heading towards much
bigger projects. Were looking
towards the public now, not
just within the school. Interact
is not just a movement in RI,
there are more than 33,000
clubs worldwide in more than
100 countries. Together as
one movement, we can do
very big things. As of now,
Raffes Interact is also looking
to work with the Rotary Club of
Singapore to plan new projects,
given that this coincides with the
50th Anniversary of the global
Interact movement. This is no
doubt good news for the many
benefciaries out there which the
Club is committed to helping.
Indeed, its not just the wider
community that benefts from
Raffes Interact. for many
Interactors, Interact represents a
truly unique, once-in-a-lifetime
experience. Kenny Goh (4R),
the current chairperson of the
Interact Club in RI Year 14,
affrms this. Interact is not merely
a CCA for me. [It is] a platform
for me to learn and understand
about the world outside. Interact
allowed me to see that in this
world today, there are always
many things more important than
academic results, material wealth
and luxury.
Eugene Lim
Mr Lim Seng Hock
7 2
Despite everything, it is worth
noting that being in Interact
is not all fun and games. The
commitment and workload can
be intensely high, especially
during key events like Youth Got
Heart which has thousands of
attendees. In addition to general
meetings, Interactors take
part in weekly service sessions
where they help out at a chosen
voluntary Welfare organisation
(vWo). on such days, Interactors
may reach home at 10pm or
even later. Certainly, this is
not a commitment for the
faint-hearted.
SERVICE BEFORE SELF
Raffes Interact has
faced its fair share
of criticism, with
cynics questioning
the motives of
some Raffesians
who join Interact.
not everything within the CCA
has been smooth sailing so far
either. Raffes Interact has faced
its fair share of criticism, with
cynics questioning the motives
of some Raffesians who join
Interact. Indeed, there have
been allegations of students
joining the CCA to pad their
resumes and fulfl certain
Raffes Diploma requirements.
In response to this, Eugene
acknowledged that there are
certainly people who do this.
However, he viewed service to
be a transformative experience.
7 3
SERVICE BEFORE SELF
Its not when times
are good and things
are easy that we
do service, but its
about really serving
where there is the
need for it.
EUGENE LIM
Whatever their initial motives,
by doing service for the
community, these people would
still end up discovering the
larger meaning behind their
work in the end.
Looking back on his Interact
experience, Eugene summed
up his Interact experience with
a quote from the CEo of Mercy
Relief: sometimes its good
to feel bad. for him, we are
not supposed to feel great
or feel that we changed the
world. I think a lot of us like to
change the world. But actually
the world changes us more
than we change it. After we do
service we realise that there is
still a lot more that is yet to be
done and that is why we dont
feel satisfed. We do the little
bits that we can. Its not when
times are good and things are
easy that we do service, but
its about really serving where
there is the need for it.
7 4
UNITED
IN ONE
VOICE
BY INEZ TAN
were very happy, Ms Chiang
recalls. This despite the fact
that the trip took place just
before the dreaded end-of-year
examinationsalthough the
Secondary 4 students stayed
behind in Singapore to prepare
for the GCE o-Levels, their
juniors gamely hauled their
study materials to EuropeHalf
their luggage was books! one
of them even brought a thick
Chinese dictionary!and kept
asking their teachers when the
study periods were. Even so,
the voices managed to put up
performances so rousing that
their audiences responded with
standing ovations and tears,
as recorded in the memorial
publication of the trip, Musica.
Music teacher Ms Charmaine
Chiang remembers the frst
time she took Raffes voices
on an overseas trip. The year
was 1995; she had founded
the RI Year 14 choir just three
years earlier, the boys were
travelling to Spain as part of
the Alava Choral festival
and they were quite literally
singing for their supper. Every
night, the voices would visit
a different village to give a
performance in the town hall
or in an open space, and after
every concert the mayor of
the town would treat them to
dinner at their best restaurant.
We performed in about ten
concerts throughout the trip;
it was quite tiring but the boys
UNITED IN ONE VOICE
Raffles Voices & Raffles Chorale
Eighteen years may have passed
since the trip to Spain, but
this commitment to achieving
excellenceand making music
both beautiful and sublime
remains a hallmark of both
Raffes voices and their Year
56 seniors in Raffes Chorale.
And this spirit has won them
fans and accoladesthis year,
both choirs were awarded a
Certifcate of Distinction in the
Singapore Youth festival Arts
Presentation, and both choirs
had consistently achieved Gold
and Gold with Honours at the
Singapore Youth festival Central
Judging in the years preceding
the recent SYf reform.
Both choirs have also earned
international recognition after
7 4
7 5
UNITED IN ONE VOICE
PUnCH, one of Raffes
Chorale's a capella groups,
performs at the choir's annual
concert, vocal Delights (2012)
EVERY NIGHT, THE VOICES WOULD
VISIT A DIFFERENT VILLAGE TO GIVE A
PERFORMANCE IN THE TOWN HALL OR
IN AN OPEN SPACE, AND AFTER EVERY
CONCERT THE MAYOR OF THE TOWN
WOULD TREAT THEM TO DINNER AT THEIR
BEST RESTAURANT.
winning top prizes in countries
like Austria, Belgium, Czech
Republic, finland, Germany,
Lithuania, Poland, and Slovakia.
Just last year, Raffes Chorale
made a name for itself at the
3rd International Krakow Choir
festival, where it came in frst
place in the Sacred Music
Category, which is usually
dominated by European choirs.
In December, Raffes voices
which was at one time ranked
the top 11th Childrens and
Youth Choir in the world by
Musica Mundifollowed their
seniors footsteps to Poland,
where they attained the second-
highest score and garnered two
Gold Diplomas in the Youth and
Chamber categories of the 3rd
Krakow Advent & Christmas
Choir festival. Just fve days
after that, they added another
feather in their cap at the 20th
International Choir festival of
7 6
Sacred, Advent and Christmas
Music in Kaunas, Lithuania,
where they won the Grand Prix,
a gold award and two special
jury prizes.
The sheer number of their
achievements may lead
one to believe that it is
competitiveness, or a hunger
to win, that drives the choirs
hold themselves to such high
standards, but Mr Toh Ban
Sheng, the choral director
of both Raffes voices and
Raffes Chorale, begs to differ.
I encourage my singers to
pursue the intrinsic rewards and
experience magical moments in
UNITED IN ONE VOICE
Mr Tham Zi Sheng (2nd
from left), Mr Toh Ban
Sheng (4th from left) and
Ms Charmaine Chiang (2nd
from right) attending a
choir alumni event in 2008.
IF WE DO NOT PUT UP OUR
BEST PERFORMANCE, EVEN
IF WE DO WIN AN AWARD,
WED FEEL LIKE WE HAVE LET
OURSELVES DOWN BECAUSE
WE COULD HAVE DONE THE
MUSIC MORE JUSTICE.
MR TOH BAN SHENG
music, to experience perfection
onstage, he explains. If
we do not put up our best
performance, even if we do win
an award, wed feel like we have
let ourselves down because
we could have done the music
more justice.
Mr Toh, who has received
numerous Conductors Prizes,
as well as the Young Artist
Award in 2006, frst conducted
Raffes Chorale in 1998. He was
new to conducting thenhe
used to teach secondary school
Physicsand the Chorale was
still very much an underdog in
the choral scene. However, that
all that changed in 1999 when
they unexpectedly blew all
competition out of the water to
win the coveted Best Choir of
the Year award at the SYf Choral
Competition. Shortly after, Mr
Toh left Singapore to pursue
his Masters degree in the USA
with the assistance of a national
Arts Council Bursary. Upon his
return in 2003, he took on Raffes
voices, his frst SATB (soprano,
alto, tenor, bass) all-boys choir.
Most of the worlds most well-
known boy choirs come from
a younger age groupthe
famous vienna Boys Choir
comes to mind. Their members
usually begin training when they
are about 8 years old, and reach
their peak when they are about
12. In RI, however, boys only join
the choir at the age of 13.
The main challenge of
conducting them is the
unexpectedness of their voices,
Mr Toh explains. Sometimes,
two weeks before the concert, a
sopranos voice can crack and he
becomes a bass. Therefore, its
important for the boys to be very
7 7
versatile and read music fast, so
they can change parts even two
weeks before the concert. A lot
of the singers would have sung
in at least three sections before
they graduate.
Raffes voices was only offcially
set up in 1992, ten years after
Raffes Chorale was incepted
in tandem with RJC in 1982.
Ms Charmaine Chiang was
the teacher-in-charge of the
RI Military Band when she was
asked to set up Raffes voices
by Ms Miiko Tan, who was then
the head of Pupil Welfare.
Unsurprisingly, many of Raffes
voices frst members originally
hailed from student groups like
the Military Band and Chinese
orchestra, but in the beginning
even they thought singing was
uncool. In time, however, the
boys gradually warmed up to the
idea of singing and came to love
the art form. one year later, in
1993, Raffes voices debuted at
the SYf Central Judging under
Ms Chiangs baton.
1993 is also the year RI Year
56 Chemistry tutor Mr Tham
Zi Sheng (RI, 1996; RJC, 1998)
joined Raffes voices. I chose
choir mainly because I like
to sing; I was very shy when
I was in primary school, so I
wanted to see whether I had
the courage to perform on
UNITED IN ONE VOICE
Raffes voices celebrate
their win in Lithuania (2012)
THE MAIN CHALLENGE OF
CONDUCTING THEM IS THE
UNEXPECTEDNESS OF THEIR
VOICES. SOMETIMES, TWO
WEEKS BEFORE THE CONCERT,
A SOPRANOS VOICE CAN CRACK
AND HE BECOMES A BASS.
MR TOH BAN SHENG
7 7
7 8
stage, he says. It felt like we
were building something; we
didnt have much, he adds,
when asked about the early
days of Raffes voices. Ms
Chiang also did a lot for us.
When I was in Secondary 1 we
went to Garden Hotel to do
some Christmas carolling for
the guests, and when we came
back to school, Ms Chiang
treated us to sandwiches and
other foods. It was like we were
one big family.
As a result, it is almost
inevitable that the members
of the choirs form close ties
with each other, and it is these
lasting bonds of friendship
that the alumni cherish most
about their years in Raffes
voices and Raffes Chorale.
Both Mr Tham and his junior,
Mr Lee Jun Cai (RI, 2000; RJC,
2002)who is coincidentally
also a Year 56 tutor (he
teaches Mathematics)still
UNITED IN ONE VOICE
Raffes Chorale with
Mr Toh (centre) in
Poland (2012)
keep in close contact with the
friends they made during in
their days in choir. In fact, Mr
Lee remembers the chairman
of his cohort coming up with
a concept he dubbed 1-URv
(Love) in their fnal year.
It stands for 1 United Raffes
voices, he grins. In 2001, one
year after Mr Lees graduation,
voices celebrated The 1-URv
Affairan event that saw the
alumni returning to Bishan to put
up a concert commemorating
the tenth anniversary of Raffes
voices founding.
friendship, solidarity and the
love for music is also very much
the reason why Mrs Jasbir
Koh, who currently teaches
Knowledge Skills in Year 56,
was drawn to join Ms Charmaine
Chiang as teacher-in-charge of
Raffes voices in 1999. I guess
Im not a singer; Im more of
an administrator, she shares.
In 1998, Ms Chiang asked me
7 8
7 9
whether I would be interested
to help her coordinate a trip
to vienna, and I said yes. And
when we got to vienna we did
very well. That was the turning
point for meI could see effort
the boys put in; their success,
their dedication. I embarked on
about fve competitions with Miss
Chiang, and later on, we made a
name for ourselves in Bratislava,
in vienna, and even in Hawaii. My
passion is for choirI love the
music, and I love the students.
formerly an English teacher
in RI, Mrs Koh transferred to
RJC before the two schools
reintegrated. In 2008, she
became teacher-in-charge of
Raffes Chorale.
With Raffes voices we tend
to be very nurturing; maybe
because Ms Chiang and I
are both mothers, I guess,
she smiles. We deal with
teenagers who are a bit more
mature in Raffes Chorale, so
our focus is more to nurture
the leader in our students, to
empower them.
This is why the students in Raffes
Chorale are given a greater
degree of autonomy than their
Year 14 juniors. one of the
highlights of every Chorale
concert is the appearance of
their a capella groups, PUnCH
and fRInGE, whose members
arrange and perform music that
range from contemporary pop
hits to themes of Broadway
musicals. In fact, popular singer-
songwriter Corinne May (RGS,
1989; RJC, 1991), one of PUnCHs
founding members, told RIs ONE
alumni magazine in 2010 that her
fondest memories of her time
in school came from the times
spent with her friends singing
songs in a Perfectly United in a
neurotic, Corny and Hopefully
Harmonious way. PUnCH
whose alumni also include local
thespian Emma Yong (RGS, 1991;
RJC, 1993)usually comprises
eight to ten singers who serve up
a cappella renditions of popular
music in a skit with a healthy dose
of madcap humour.
fRInGE, on the other hand,
is not an acronym. Presently,
the student-directed group
presents a cappella choral
music that juxtaposes against
the pop genres undertaken by
PUnCH. This is rather different
from how it was when it was
started in 1993, when a group
of Chorale members had an
UNITED IN ONE VOICE
WE DEAL WITH TEENAGERS
WHO ARE A BIT MORE MATURE
IN RAFFLES CHORALE, SO OUR
FOCUS IS MORE TO NURTURE
THE LEADER IN OUR STUDENTS,
TO EMPOWER THEM.
MRS JASBIR KOH
epiphany to start another group
that will involve the rest of us
after watching PUnCH rehearse
for a performance.
We wanted it to encompass
as many interested choir mates
as possible, so we didnt
have any formal auditions,
founding member Tan Chiaw
Ting (RGS, 1991; RJC, 1993)
recalls. Humour is the name
of the game, and we had fun
taking in great ideas from
everyone. Everyone pitched
in, from story-writing, making
sure we sang in tune, to
costume design and lighting.
I remembered we had a
running gag of a dashing
young man racing across
the stage at different times
(pardon the pun). We were
a corny bunch! We had our
share of tempers faring and
differences of opinion, but
in the end, friendship and
perseverance triumphed.
The frst fRInGE performance
was successfully staged at the
RJC Chorales annual concert,
and the group performed
later again that year during a
Europe tour. During the trip, the
members would break out in
impromptu songs while waiting
for buses and during other free
periods. It was an experience
Chiaw Ting has many fond
memories of: I still remember
the goose bumps that came
when a few voices became
many, and we blended in such
perfect harmony.
Both voices and Chorale embark
on overseas trips on alternate
years. Through these trips, the
choir members gain exposure
to cultures rather different from
their own and get a chance to
7 9
8 0
develop independence and
resilience. The students also
grow and mature a lot through
training together and taking care
of each other.
When I bring the choir overseas,
the fight attendants would tell
me that they have never seen
such a well-behaved school
group before, Ms Chiang says.
The boys are very disciplined
they try their best to rest on the
plane, and when we reach the
airport they study their scores.
Many of the festivals that the
RI choirs participate in take
place in Europe, and the drier
climate means the singers
spend a lot of their time
overseas drinking warm water
and wearing masks to prevent
their throats from becoming dry.
During the Chorales 2010 trip
to Belgium, however, the masks
unexpectedly became the
source of unnecessary attention.
The locals became very
defensive because they thought
we were wearing them because
of the volcanic ash eruptions in
Europe at that time, Mrs Jasbir
Koh recalls. I later went on
television to explain that we wore
masks not because of the ash,
but because we were not used to
their climate and our voices get
affected by the dry weather. After
that, we could see the difference
in their treatment towards us.
They were so friendly, and after
our performance they gave us a
standing ovation, and we won
frst prize.
UNITED IN ONE VOICE
Raffes Chorale in
Poland (2012)
IF YOU ARE A GOOD
SERVANT OF THE MUSIC,
PEOPLE WILL BE TOUCHED
BY YOUR PERFORMANCE.
MR TOH BAN SHENG
8 1
And that, according to
conductor Mr Toh, is one of
the greatest recognitions any
performer can get. If you are
a good servant of the music,
people will be touched by your
performance, he says. I think
the highest compliment is when
people are moved by the music.
At the end of our performance
of Lux Aurumque in Poland we
saw the audience wiping away
their tears, and we were very,
very touched. And during our
performance in Lithuania last
year, the audience burst out in
cheers after the last note, almost
like they had been sucked into
the performance together with
us. Because of that, we won
the Special Audience Prize.
I think those were special
moments, when people were
spontaneously infuenced by the
music we make.
Both voices and Chorale receive
recognition in other ways too;
composers from Europe and
Asia who have listened to their
performances live, or came
across their videos on YouTube
have offered to write music
especially for them. Since the
successful frst world premiere
of commissioned work in vienna
votive Church in 2010, the Raffes
choirs have been premiering new
works every year to rave reviews.
Also in the works are more
local concertssome of which
are staged for charityand a
compilation CD for both Raffes
voices and Chorale. Chorales last
album, What Sweeter Music, was
produced in 2006.
What resonates better with
the human heart than the
human voice, and what better
way to make vocal music than
with others who love to sing?
Perhaps Mrs Jasbir voices
the feelings of the RI choir
members past and present
best: I treasure the friendship,
I treasure the music, I treasure
the students, the conductor,
Ms Chiang everyone is
important. This is why Im very
passionate about choir.
As for Ms Chiang, her experience
with Raffes voices is also
something she deeply cherishes.
Raffes voices is my baby! she
says, laughing. I started the
choir and Ive watched every
batch of students grow. Im
very happy that some of them
have continued to sing, but
even if they dont, the alumni
are still very close to each other.
I believe Raffes voices has a
special place in their hearts; just
as it has a very special place in
my heart.
Mrs Jasbir Koh (front,
2nd from left) with Raffes
Chorale and the trophy
they won in 2012
UNITED IN ONE VOICE
8 1
8 2
The alumni softballers intended
to spring a big surprise
celebration for their softball
coach, nelson Lims 60th
birthday, and also to recognize
his 21 years of service with
RI. This idea soon evolved to
become part of a grand plan to
reunite all the batches of Raffes
softballers since 1960.
oRA Softball held its frst dinner
gathering in 2006, and the
second in 2010. The organising
committee for the third oRA
Softball Dinner was formed
in September 2012, and our
frst and most diffcult task was
to reach out to the different
batches of softballers from 1960
till today. over seven years,
we had built up a database
containing our past softballers
contact information, and with
it, we began our journey to
fnd more of us, with the help
of the team captains of the
respective batches.
The third oRA Gryphons
Softball Dinner was held on 23
March 2013. Initial estimates
showed an astonishing total
of 300 guests, and it was
instinctively clear to the
committee that the venue of
choice would have to be the
Albert Hong Hall in RI. The
Bishan campus has been home
to many softballers, all of whom
have spent many long hours
on the feld; it continues to be
oRA Softballs training ground
and a meeting point for many
ever since the oRA Annual
Slowpitch Carnival was held in
2008. While the Grange Road
campus is best remembered
for its dominating home crowd,
supporting from the classrooms
and spectator stands, the
Bishan campus is now
renowned for its integrated Year
16 facilities, and of course,
the RI Softball Diamond with
the magnifcent clock tower
overlooking it.
The ORA Softball
Dinner was the
perfect opportunity
to connect and re-
connect softballers
from the past, and
to keep the softball
community informed
of the achievements
of Raffes Softball.
THE ATHLETE
Five Decades of Rafflesian Softball
The Athlete
FIVE DECADES
OF RAFFLESIAN
SOFTBALL
BY IVAN NG RJC, 2006 AnD FARHAN HARAHAP RJC, 2007
8 3
Top: The 1969 Junior team
Below: The 1987 A-Division team
understanding and awareness
of oRA Softballs culture to the
young (and extended families),
with the hope to nurture and
develop in them, a deep and
abiding love for the game and
for the school.
A section of the hall was
allocated for the display
of three booths: History of
Raffes Softball, oRA Softball,
and Coach nelson. These
three booths displayed
short historical write-ups,
The oRA Softball Dinner
was the perfect opportunity
to connect and reconnect
softballers from the past, and
to keep the softball community
informed of the achievements
of Raffes Softball. our
committee remains committed
to extend our reach to a wider
network of softballers, including
past and current school staff,
parents and current students.
This dinner gave us the
opportunity to foster a deeper
THE ATHLETE
Gryphons Softball Reunion Dinner
8 4
Top: RJC Softball Girls team
from the RJC Classes of
1993-1994
Below: Raffes Softballers
from the RI Classes of
1986-1989
THE ATHLETE
Five Decades of Rafflesian Softball
8 5
Coach nelson Lim holding
a plaquewhich lists the
championship titles of the
A-Division Boys and Girls, the B
Division Boys and the C Division
Girlscommemorating his 21
years of service with RI
quotes, testimonials coupled
with pictures and notable
achievements. needless to say,
it quickly became the highlight
of the night as even graduates
from the RI Class of 1987 began
disputing the stories behind their
national Schools tournaments.
Students were also captivated by
the pictures of Raffes softballers
in their classic jerseys in the 1960s
and the photos of seniors and
coaches in the 2000s.
In addition to the 13-course
buffet dinner menu, the
committee put together an
exciting programme for the night
that featured video performances
by the students, a live song
performance by the RGS girls
and greetings from softballers
who are currently overseas.
one of the highlights of the
night featured Coach nelsons
wife and family members as
special guests-of-honourour
way of showing appreciation
for their sacrifces and for their
support of Coach nelson over
these 21 years. The special
moment came with a surprise
birthday celebration and a
birthday cake in the shape of a
softball, and many batches of
softballers also showered Coach
with birthday gifts.
nonetheless, the night of
celebrations belonged to oRA
Softball for a most successful
dinner, which brought together
a total of 285 Raffes softballers
with their families. The biggest
turnout came from the RI Classes
of 19861989 and 20042006,
as well as the families of current
softballers. oRA Softball was
established with six main
objectives, amongst which are
to promote the game of softball
and create events and activities
to bring the different generations
of Raffesians and their families
and friends together through
softballwe believe this oRA
Softball Dinner has gone over
and beyond in fulflling this
objective and will defnitely go
down as a huge milestone in our
oRA Gryphons Softball history.
May we always pursue
excellence in sports, creation
of friendships, and
life-long experiences!
Nonetheless, the
night of celebrations
belonged to ORA
Softball for a most
successful dinner,
bringing a total
of 285 Raffes
softballers and
families together.
THE ATHLETE
Gryphons Softball Reunion Dinner
8 6
From its humble beginnings 91 years ago as the brainchild of headmaster
D A Bishop (the frst Houses were originally named House One, Two,
Three and Four!) to the double-barrelled Year 56 Houses we have today,
the House system has shaped many generations of Raffesians. We sent
out a team of writers to investigate how we transitioned from Faculties
in RJC to our current Year 56 Houses, and also caught up with our Year
14 House Captains for an update on the House landscape.
BY KYLIE WONG 14A01B, LIM SHAO MIN 14S03K AnD GAIUS ONG 14A01B
8 7
8 8
THE BIG HOUSE-SWOP
2007 was a year marked with
signifcant changes in RJC.
The system of classifying
students based on their subject
combinations had become
irrelevant and pass, as the
revamped A-Level syllabus
had removed the Double Math
combination, rendering the
Engineering faculty obsolete. In
addition, the faculty system left
much to be desired in terms of
fairnessdue to sheer numerical
advantage, the Medicine
faculty (those who took the
Triple Science combination)
was winning every inter-faculty
competition there was!
faced with a pressing need to
change the system such that it
would ensure a level playing-
feld for all, a six-House system
was initially proposed. However,
DUE TO SHEER
NUMERICAL
ADVANTAGE, THE
MEDICINE FACULTY
WAS WINNING EVERY
INTER-FACULTY
COMPETITION
THERE WAS!
after multiple discussions, the
school staff decided that six
was just too manya fve-
House system would ensure
an easier alignment with the
House systems of RI and RGS,
and would also better support
the building of both schools
identities as one Raffes.
There were also concerns voiced
by several staff members
about possible conficts of
interests between the
Student Council and the
future House Committee.
With two departments operating
separately, the prospect of
duplicate events vying for
student participation was high.
Dean of Student Development
Ms Melissa Lim (RJC, 1992), who
was involved with the transition
process, put it this way, You
are eventually going to have
TURNING HOUSES INTO HOMES
RIs House System
Moor-Tarbet House
8 9
Hadley-Hullett House
RIs House System
either too many activities in
the school or youre going to
have people competing to
show that they can do more.
Without proper communication
on a regular basis, confict and
competition would have been
inevitable. Thus, the team in
charge of implementing the
House system made the diffcult
decision to merge the Student
Council and House Committee
into one.
As such, students today have
to frst get elected into the
Council to qualify for House
Committee positions. However,
this implementation of a whole
new system was never easythe
team had to justify their reasons
of expanding the Student
Council from 50 to 90 members,
with former Councillors casting
doubt over the reconstitution.
It also took many rounds of
discussion to decide on the
allocation of roles among
Student Councillors and House
Committee members.
In retrospect, Ms Lim feels that
the laborious effort put in to
optimise the system initially has
proved to be worth the effort
in the long run, as the Student
Council and House Committee
now work synergistically.
The faculty system saw few,
if any, bonding activities
being organised to promote
camaraderie, with faculty spirit
primarily being forged through
the heat of battle. Today,
however, the Houses strive for
intra-House bonding and spirit,
organising activities like House
parties or games days.
IN RETROSPECT,
MS LIM FEELS THAT
THE LABORIOUS
EFFORT PUT IN
TO OPTIMISE THE
SYSTEM INITIALLY
HAS PROVED TO BE
WORTH THE EFFORT
IN THE LONG RUN,
AS THE STUDENT
COUNCIL AND
HOUSE COMMITTEE
NOW WORK
SYNERGISTICALLY.
9 0
COMPETITION IS NOT
THE ONLY WAY TO BUILD
HOUSE SPIRIT. WE WANT
TO HIGHLIGHT THE FACT
THAT YOU CAN HAVE
DIFFERENT HOUSES HAVING
PARTIES TOGETHER OR
HAVING EVENTS THAT ARE
COMMUNITY-CENTRED,
SUCH AS A BUCKLE-
BUCKLEY COMMUNITY
SERVICE DAY.
MS MELISSA LIM
9 1
ITS NOT JUST A
COMPETITION-
BASED SORT OF
IDENTITY THAT
WERE AFTER,
BUT A WELL-
ROUNDED ONE.
MS MELISSA LIM
Competition is not the only
way to build House spirit. We
want to highlight the fact that
you can have different Houses
having parties together or having
events that are community-
centred, such as a Buckle-Buckley
community service day, points
out Ms Lim. In the process, you
build a strong House culture and
sense of belonging and thus
from there, you build a sense of
belonging to your school. Its not
just a competition-based sort
of identity that were after, but a
well-rounded one.
Most students under the faculty
system of the past confess that
they wish they had been part
of a House instead. Mr Eng
Han Seng (RI, 1989; RJC, 1991),
who is Dean of Co-Curricular
Activities, laments that the
House spirit which his cohort
forged in their frst four years
at RI was lost when they were
sorted into their faculties over
in RJC. Compared to students
of today, Mr Eng says that
the students in the past had
more free time on their hands
to participate in inter-faculty
activities, yet there were fewer
such activities in his day.
When asked about memorable
faculty cheers, Mr Eng
cheekily remarked that they
were none, mainly due to the
fact that students in my time
were not really excited about
cheering Medicine, Medicine,
all the way!
Buckle-Buckley House
RIs House System
9 2
RIs House System
Bayley-Waddle House
WEIGHING MOST
HEAVILY ON RYANS
MIND WAS THE
TUG OF LOYALTY
THAT RAFFLESIANS
EXPERIENCE BETWEEN
COMMITMENTS
TO THE HOUSE
AND THEIR
VARIOUS OTHER
COMMITMENTS.
IMAGINED (BUT NOT
IMAGINARY) COMMUNITIES
over on the Year 14 side of
the school, inter-House rivalry
continues to be as ferce as it
has ever been. We caught up
with two Exco members from
the Year 14 Houses, Ryan Lim
(4C, Buckley House Captain)
and nicholas Lui (4E, Bayley
vice-Captain) to fnd out about
the issues facing the Year 14
Houses and where they see the
Houses headed.
Weighing most heavily on Ryans
mind was the tug of loyalty that
Raffesians experience between
commitments to the House and
their various other commitments.
faced with a choice between
House events on the one hand
and CCA or schoolwork on the
other, most Raffesians would
plump for the latter. A related
problem that he perceives is how
(House events) are spread across
the year and as such, have a
lessened impact on Raffesians.
Ryan sees a possible way
forwardto (concentrate) Inter-
House Competitions into two or
three intense weeks, instead of
spreading them over the whole
year. Beyond just allowing for
greater commitment to House
events, such an approach
would also free up much time
in the other parts of the year
for House ExCos to conduct
fun and meaningful activities
for House members, a step up
from the current fxed House
meetings we now have.
Interestingly enough, Ryans
observations parallel part of
the thinking that informed the
Year 56 switch from faculties
to Housesto supplement
competition with camaraderie,
as a means of building up
House (and hence school)
identity. After all, a House
cannot be just about inter-
House competition results.
Such a result-oriented approach
would be unsustainable, as it
would require the perpetuation
9 3
of good results for a sense of
House spirit. As nicholas puts
it, House spirit must go beyond
medals and trophies.
for nicholas, a House needs
to be home-like. I envision
Bayley becoming a place where
Bayleyeans will feel at home. In
this ideal Bayley, there would
be a spirit of camaraderie, with
seniors helping and guiding
juniors in their schoolwork and
other affairs.
Such a sense of belonging is
built on the notion of the House
as an imagined community.
It is imagined because this
community is neither physically
founded on geographical
borders (Raffes is not that big
yet) nor the constant, consistent
face-to-face interaction of
every member with every other
member in the House. Instead,
it is organically evolved from
the shared experiences that
members go through, ultimately
forming a shared memory.
Returning to his earlier concerns
Ryan shared that he sees these
shared memories emerging
both from competitions as well
as non-competitive activities.
He cites Dramafeste 2013 as
his favourite House memory,
but also hastens to add that
a House in Raffes should be
a platform for students to add
favour to their experience in
Raffes and have great things to
look back on when they think
about their Raffes journey.
Its a laudable vision
that Raffesian Times
wholeheartedly endorses, and
something which our Year 14
captains and Year 56 House
Directorates are, without doubt,
doing their best to realise for
their fellow Raffesians.
RIs House System
Morrison-Richardson House
A HOUSE IN
RAFFLES SHOULD
BE A PLATFORM
FOR STUDENTS TO
ADD FLAVOUR TO
THEIR EXPERIENCE
IN RAFFLES AND
HAVE GREAT THINGS
TO LOOK BACK ON
WHEN THEY THINK
ABOUT THEIR
RAFFLES JOURNEY.
9 4
So What Do
You Know
About The RLI?
SO WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE RLI
The Raffles Leadership Institute
BY AUSTIN ZHENG
9 5
At frst glance, the variety
of programmes the Raffes
Leadership Institute (RLI)
manages seems both
astounding and somewhat
bewildering. Aside from more
obvious examples like the
Leaders for a Better Age (LBA)
and Adventure Leadership
Programmes (ALPs), what do art
and music camps, the Ecological
Literacy (EcoLit) enrichment
programme, the International
Service Learning Elective (ISLE),
class camps and Community
Advocates have to do with
leadership development?
As it turns out, the RLI is
something of a misnomer.
It is not in fact limited to
leadership development,
as it also encompasses
citizenship, community and
character education. In other
words, what the RLI really
focuses on is comprehensive
student development through
experiential learning, serving
as the institutional engine of
growth for RIs Character &
Leadership and Community
& Citizenship domains. Ms
Melissa Lim, Dean of Student
Development explains,
You cannot just focus on
yourselfyou need to know
the environment and how to
engage with the community.
You need to have a greater
understanding of issues in this
new era. In a sense, the two
domains cannot be split as they
are inherently interrelated.
THE RLI STAFF
Indeed, broader community
and character education
establishes the foundations
of leadership development,
and gives the process greater
relevance and meaning. After
all, the ultimate purpose of
leadership development is to
equip students to contribute
effectively to society. As clichd
as it might sound, everyone is
their own leader. This aphorism
has particular signifcance in the
RLIs approach to leadership
development. While certain
RLI programmes, such as
EcoLit and class camps, may
not directly teach students
how to lead a team effectively,
they do give the opportunity
for students to refect on their
character, community and
environment. Regarding EcoLit,
for instance, Head of RLI Mr
Kuak nam Jin explains, nature
affects our economic output,
availability of living space,
quality of living and health.
You need to know
how to engage with
the community.
You need to know
the environment.
You need to
have a greater
understanding of
issues in this new
era. You cannot just
focus on yourself.
MS MELISSA LIM
9 6
In the near future, more and
more global leaders will be
confronted with delicate and
pressing matters related to
the environment. Ecological
Literacy hopes to prepare
our students for this day.
The programmes thereby
aid students in their personal
growth, encouraging and
empowering them to contribute
more actively to society.
nevertheless, the impact of
RLI programmes should not be
overstated. Ms vivian Wong
(Senior Experiential Education
offcer, RLI) is quick to point
out that experiential learning
is a long process and may not
necessarily have an immediate
impact. Taking leadership as an
exampleones understanding
of leadership is constantly
evolving, and the nature of
leadership cannot be defned
by just one programme. The
RLI thus endorses the concept
of slow pedagogy and gradual,
continuous learning.
The greater expansion in
the RLIs role and its deeper
integration within the larger
school system is refected by
the change in name from the
Raffes Institute of Experiential
Learning (RIEL) this year.
Accordingly, the RLI has rolled
out several new initiatives.
Its fagship project, Leaders
for a Better Age (LBA), made
its debut this year to offer a
focused course on leadership
development to Year 5
students. During the application
phase for the LBA, the RLI
quoted Sir Ernest Shackletons
1

recruitment advertisement for
his 1914 Antarctic expedition:
Men wanted for a hazardous
journey. Small wages. Bitter
cold. Long months of complete
darkness. Constant danger.
Safe return doubtful. Honour
and recognition in case of
success. The quote is apt
as signing up for LBA entails
undertaking a 4-month
community project, enduring
weeks of training for a 16-
day outdoor expedition
and completing mandatory
personal refection through
journaling, on top of weekly
programme sessions.
Student responses to the
RLI programmes have been
overwhelmingly positive,
with many refecting that
their experiences in those
programmes have altered their
worldview in palpable, lasting
ways. Chu Shao Min (13S06R),
an ISLE leader in charge of
Team Laos, vividly recounts
his community service in Laos,
where he helped to teach
village children English, set up
a library system and aided in
construction work. The Laotians
hospitality, curiosity and
contentment with their diffcult
lifestyle struck him, especially
since they contrasted so starkly
with Singaporean society.
As a leader, Shao Min was
tasked with signifcant
responsibilities, in particular
the diffcult task of maintain
group enthusiasm. The gruelling
timetable and inevitable
conficts that arose taught him
the importance of maintaining
a sense of purpose, expressing
frm beliefs, and constantly
being on task and thinking
ahead. Shao Mins experiences
of Laotian society clearly left a
lasting impression: The care and
1
Sir Ernest Shackleton
was a polar explorer
who led three British
expeditions to
the Antarctic: the
Discovery Expedition
(1901-1903), the
nimrod Expedition
(1907-1909), and the
Imperial Trans-Ant-
arctic Expedition
(1914-1917).
9 7
The RLI team
9 8
The care and concern Laotians showed
made me refect on Singapore culture. Even
if two Laotian villages compete, they still
help each other.
CHU SHAO MIN
concern Laotians showed made
me refect on Singapore culture.
Even if two Laotian villages
compete, they still help each
other. for instance, they loan
rice from a collective rice bank to
farmers without interest during
bad harvests. It makes you
wonder how much more you can
do for your peers...I was inspired
to go out and help whoever I
could in the best way I could.
Muhammad Huzaif (13S06K)
and Claudia Koh (13S03I), ALPs
team leaders, also expressed
similar sentiments. In the
experiential portion of ALPs,
a 14-day student-planned trip
in Australias Alpine national
Park, students are rigorously
challenged, having to camp
and cook for each other on
top of enduring a 9-day hike
and fckle weather conditions.
Unfortunately, half of Claudias
group fell sick due to food
poisoning midway through.
Claudia refected that the end
goal, reaching the peak of the
mountain, didnt matter. The
process was more important.
There was the option for half
the team to continue, but
we refused. The team was
united by mutual concern for
each other. Huzaif concurs:
I became more self-aware
and learnt to care about my
teammates. It really is the
process that matters. A good
leader has to look out for his
friends. Mr Kuak provides
a succinct summary of the
programme: Taking care of
oneself in such conditions is
hard enough, let alone looking
out for others, but this is
precisely what ALPs is about.
It is not just about our own
good, but that of the greater
community as well.
9 9
The RLI and its various
programmes have apparently
been considerably successful
in helping students become
more mature, not just as
leaders but also as people.
That being said, the RLI still
has room for improvement,
and it seems that its staff are
eager to close the gaps. Ms
Lim Leng Er (Senior Experiential
Education offcer, RLI) opines
that leadership programmes
could have a greater focus on
life-long leadership qualities. An
overemphasis on administrative
management, she notes, might
create the misconception that
it is the hallmark of a leader. Ms
Sim Yi Hui (Senior Experiential
Education offcer, RLI) further
suggested that a leadership
needs assessment be carried
out to identify the skills that
students need to learn in order
to prepare them to be leaders
in future. on the part of the
students, a common piece of
feedback was that the pre-
experiential stage preparation
in the enrichment programmes
was inadequate, insuffciently
dynamic, or, in terms of
theoretical background, only
evidently relevant during the
experiential stage. nevertheless,
all refected that the pre-trip
preparation had conditioned
them for the experiential stage,
helped them understand the
environment, people and culture
of the place, and reinforced the
meaning and importance of the
trip itself. With such an evidently
constructive impact on students
lives thus far, the continued
expansion and development
of the RLI will certainly groom
more effective and civic-minded
leaders for future generations.
100
GAP
SEMESTER
2.0 SCORECARD
GAP SEMESTER 2.0 SCORECARD
School Programmes
With this new
curriculum
innovation of the
Raffes Programme,
Raffesians will be
able to learn, grow,
and have funwhile
discovering what is
truly meaningful and
signifcant to them.
BY AARON GAN 14S05A, NGUYEN TRUNG HUAN 14S05A, WILSON CHAN 4A AnD
SHIV JAYRAM KHIALANI 4A
1 0 1
School Programmes
Some of the
international courses
featured in the Gap
Semester: The Denmark
Experience (top) and
fire.Batik.Paradise:
Getting to Know
Indonesia (bottom)
What a difference one year
makes. Ask a student from
the batch of 2012, and he will
tell you about the invaluable
learning experiences he
enjoyed during his last year in
school. Ask a student from the
batch before, and he will lament
about how he did not receive
that same experience. And the
same reason invariably comes
upthe Gap Semester.
Informally known by students
and teachers alike as Gap
Sem, the programme has
signifcantly altered student
life in RI. It is meant to be a
time of learning away from the
mundane monotony of school
life, and in just its frst cycle,
it has become intertwined
with what we would consider
the quintessential Raffes
Experience, even though it
directly engages only an eighth
of the student population.
While the Gap Semester is a
programme open solely to Year
4 Raffesians, practically the
whole institution has become
aware of its existence.
Practically, the Gap Semester
is an expanded yet also
more focused version of the
earlier Differentiated Modules
Programme (DMP), with one
term set aside exclusively for
Year 4 students to attend four
categories of extra-curricular
courses. Whereas DMP offered
only in-school enrichment
courses, Gap Semester
crucially includes student-
initiated, work attachment
and (highly-anticipated)
international courses.
To Year 4 RI boys, the Gap
Semester did not only
present a new and exciting
learning opportunity, but
also breathed air and life
into a Rafes Programme
weighed down by the
demands of routine
academic work.
102
GAP SEMESTER 2012:
TWO THUMBS UP
The longer period of time for
the Gap Semester also allows
students to deepen their
experience in the Gap Semester,
instead of just being a feeting
period of non-academic
pursuits. Also, the Gap Semester
takes place after the fnal
examinations for the Year 4s,
ensuring that this time is focused
mainly on enrichment, instead
of being utilised to study for
the examinations. As a result,
this gives Raffesians more of an
opportunity to actually learn and
experience new things, as the
clash in priorities, which usually
stymies us from being able to
take advantage of the once-in-a-
lifetime opportunities offered, is
taken out of the equation.
Just going online to access the
Gap Semester web portal was
an experience in and of itself.
There was a staggering array
of courses and attachments
on offer, all packaged in well-
designed website. To Year 4 RI
boys, the Gap Semester did not
only present a new and exciting
learning opportunity, but also
breathed air and life into a
Raffes Programme weighed
down by the demands of
routine academic work.
It gave Raffesians an
opportunity to rest and relax,
and take a break from the
frenetic pace of student life that
is a defning characteristic of the
RI school environment.
But what Gap Semester
really translated into was
experience that we cannot
usually get through just reading
our textbooks, or mugging.
After all, how can one ever
appreciate the rich culture
and heritage surrounding the
Silk Road by simply learning
about it in an air-conditioned
classroom? or really fnd out
what it takes to be a lawyer,
banker, or doctor, short of
shadowing and interacting with
real-life professionals?
DIFFERENTIATED MODULES PROGRAMME
3 weeks long
Before the EoYs
no international or work attachment courses
except for Overseas Immersion Programme
Limited range of courses
Generally conducted in-house by
school teachers
n/A
GAP SEMESTER
9 weeks long
After the EoYs
Has international and work
attachment courses
Expanded range of courses
Involvement of a range of external trainers
and agencies
Dedicated corporate portal/website
School Programmes
Yeo Ping Chong (14S03A)
volunteered for three
weeks at the Little Wings
kindergarten as part of his
Gap Semester
DMP VS GAP SEMESTER: A COMPARISON CHART
1 0 3
School Programmes
Dcouvrez les
Mathmatiques
An Unparalleled
Mathematical
Experience in france
It changed my outlook
on the ex-offendersit
let me see them as
individuals who loved,
who hoped, and who
had to live with their
fears just as we do.
JOSEPH HOON
MINDING THE GAP
With the second edition of Gap
Semester due to kick-off as this
magazine goes to print, the frst
batch of participants believe that
the stories of the programme this
year should be recorded down
more rigorously. Such sentiment
comes from their feedback
towards their own experience
with the Gap Semester in 2012.
To paraphrase most of the
students whom we interviewed,
the stories of the very frst group
of Raffesians who attended
Gap Semester were worth being
published in books.
The generally excellent
organisation of the Gap
Semester was slightly marred
by the inadequate thought
given to the refection process.
The refection corner on its
online portal, for instance, felt
more like a place to coordinate
responses between students
and teachers.
Also, the three-day Gap
Semester Congress also could
not fully capture the nine-week
journey of any student. for
some, the Congress was not
totally a useful method to share
their experience. They found
that the oral presentation was
unable to help them deliver
the content they wish to share.
Its rather nerve-wrecking to
present in front of an audience
who is much older than you,
Gao Shan Sam (14S06f) said,
even though youre familiar with
your content! As a result, many
interesting stories were lost on
the audience.
When asked how Gap
Semester Committee could
further improve the process
of collecting feedback from
students, Derick Chen (14S05A)
suggested setting up a website
that allows seniors to pass down
experiences to the juniors.
Joseph Hoon (14S05A) shared,
The most meaningful Gap
Sem experience I had was the
three-week stint that a friend
and I initiated, which involved
volunteering at the Singapore
Corporation of Rehabilitative
Enterprises (SCoRE) offce in
Changi with the Yellow Ribbon
Project. It changed my outlook
on the ex-offendersit let me
see them as individuals who
loved, who hoped, and who had
to live with their fears just as we
doWitnessing how broken
many of them were brought
them beyond just another
group of people that I knew
needed help but who were
always at the back of my mind.
However, Joseph also agreed
that his experiences were not
thoroughly recorded.
104
School Programmes
GAP SEMESTER 2013:
WHATS UP
Briefngs for Gap Semester
2013 got underway at the end
of last year, with students of the
new batch ready to experience
a remodelled and refreshed
learning process. Things got
underway with introductory
briefngs to the whole concept
of a Gap Semester and the
registration for Self-Initiated
Courses (SICs) in Term 3 last year.
The Year 3s we spoke to greatly
welcomed the continuation
of the self-initiated courses,
which empowers keen and
interested students to scout
out attachment opportunities
matching their specifc interests.
Judging from the overwhelming
response, a large number of
Raffesians were enthusiastic
about pursuing their interests
in their own creative and
meaningful ways.
Unsurprisingly, research
programmes and attachment
to mentors from the national
University of Singapore
dominate the SICs that have
been initiated; coming in a
close second are community-
oriented SICs.
Such sentiment also stems from
the fact that many younger
students, after attending the Gap
Semester Congress last year,
learnt about the fun (and not-so-
fun) discoveries and experiences
that their seniors had undergone
in their journeys. from Bryan
Chuas (14A01A) self-initiated
course on golf, to the sharing
of the service-learning trip to
Bhutan (an eye-opener), last
years Year 3s were adequately
persuaded that no interest was
too wild to pursue, or too time-
demanding to aspire towards.
furthermore, there were
some changes made to the
administrative process that
sought to make the process of
allocating Raffesians to their
Gap Semester courses more
transparent. The most obvious
change to the selection process
was the introduction of interviews
for all international and work
attachment courses, instead of
conducting a ballot for a majority
of the courses on offer. This
has made matters clearer and
fairer, especially since most felt
that the luck of the draw should
not be the determining factor
in choosing the most suitable
candidates for a course.
However, it would seem that
some courses are widely
preferred than others. We found
out, for instance, that fire.Batik.
Paradise, a course in which
students would have visited
two vastly different locations in
West JavaSurabaya and Bali,
was so undersubscribed it had
to be cancelled. In comparison,
Sweden: 13-day Environmental
Sustainability Programme was
oversubscribed by a factor of
four. This is inevitable, but it
begs the question of whether
Raffesians are picking courses
on the basis of interest, or if they
are being unduly infuenced by
the location of particular courses,
deeming some countries more
interesting than others.
The Gap Semester is certainly
a milestone in the evolution of
the Raffes Programme. Prior to
the Year 4 batch of 2012 going
through the frst-ever Gap
Semester, there has never been
any such programme offcially
incorporated into academic
curriculum across the country,
let alone this institution. Many of
the current Year 4 students are
clearly looking forward to Gap
Semester 2013we hope that
they have taken into account
the feedback received from the
previous batch and wish them a
most enjoyable, enriching time!
1 0 5
School Programmes
The Year 3s we spoke to greatly welcomed the
continuation of the self-initiated courses, which
empowers keen and interested students to scout
out attachment opportunities matching their
specic interests.
Mongolia Mindscapes
106
BELOW, WE PICK OUT OUR
THREE FAVOURITE GAP
SEMESTER 2013 OFFERINGS
History buffs will appreciate this
international trip to understand
Mans ideas and knowledge
and its impact on the world.
With Science, Art, Religion and
History interwoven seamlessly,
students are immersed in a
natural and complete learning
experience. Students get to
visit florence, birthplace of the
Renaissance; Berlin, where the
Holocaust Memorial Museum
stands today; Auschwitz,
most infamous of all nazi
concentration camps; and
vienna, where they can interact
with students from the Karl
Popper School for the Gifted.
RI and Real Madrids partnership
is in the news already; those lucky
sports stars (unlike the writers of
this article) will attend the RI-Real
Madrid customised one-week
programme to understand the
culture and sports in Spain.
Participants will travel to Spain
and train at Real Madrids
facilities, watch live matches at
the Santiago Bernabeu stadium
and feel the vibrancy of Madrid,
the capital city of Spain. They
will also visit the Real Madrid
University and Sports Science
centres to understand the
importance of the sports science
programmes in the development
of excellence in sports.
for those keen on experiencing
what its like to work in a busy and
iconic arts centre, a customised
internship will be negotiated
based on the students interest
and abilities and matched to the
programmes at The Esplanade
Theatres in the duration of
the internship. for example,
interns in the front-of-House
department will be exposed to
a range of service operations
such as customer service
management, event preparation,
cloakroom management and
ushering duties among others.
During larger festivals, interns
could also be attached to Artist
Liaison offcers where they will
learn how the Esplanade
hosts and meets the needs
of international and
regional programmes.
School Programmes
HEAVEN TO HELL
A Journey Through The
Renaissance And The
Holocaust
REAL MADRID
INTERNATIONAL
SPORTS
PROGRAMME
ATTACHMENT TO
THE ESPLANADE
THEATRES
1 0 7
The SL Camp (or Student
Leader Camp) was pretty tough
and strenuous, but I believe it
echoes the struggles of a leader
before rising to the position
of leading the community.
A leader will inevitably face
challenges and opposition
from others but must always
work to uphold his values no
matter what in order to have
the credibility and approval of
his followers. I would like to
explain also that one thing I
have learnt from this camp is
the importance of the decisions
we make as leaders based on
our values.
now I may have veered away
from the topic of this years SL
Camp, but this just goes to
show how complex leadership
can be, even in the context
of a school like ours. As much
as we are taught to strive for
the schools motto to be the
leaders, thinkers and pioneers
of a better age, we must be
Choosing to be
a leader
As much as we are taught to strive for the schools motto to be the
leaders, thinkers and pioneers of a better age, we must be aware of
the impact we make on people and society at large.
CHOOSING TO BE A LEADER
Student Leadership
BY MUHAMMAD HAMEEM 3C
1 0 7
108
aware of the impact we make
on people and society at large.
Leadership is a relationship
between a leader and his
followers. All this may seem
a lot to be learnt from just a
single camp organised for
student leaders, but this is what
we were gradually exposed to
over the span of programmes
planned out for us.
I can still remember how all this
began about a month ago right
after the mid-year common
tests, when I made my frst
choice as a leader: to become
a leader in the frst place. It was
a challenge that I had accepted
as I entered Camp foundation.
There, the ground rules and
expectations of what seemed
like a camp for uniformed
groups were laid out, apart
from the lectures we had along
the way. These lectures got
us to think deeply about our
vision both as a body of student
leaders and as leaders of our
own CCAs.
There were several activities
and games that, in retrospect,
I realise were designed to help
us fnd this vision while working
together. for example, we
were blindfolded in groups
and asked to form a square
while holding on to a cord.
At that point in time, these
games seemed pointless and
I admit that I was not actually
constructive in my participation,
but now, as I face reality and
the people I am required
to manage in my CCA, I
understand how important it
is not to leave my members in
the dark like I was and instead
involve them in our common
goal. Communication, in this
case, no longer seems like
MEIN SL CAMPF
Muhammad Hameem
Communication, in
this case, no longer
seems like such a
big word brandished
by teachers during
leadership training,
but is actually
something very
essential to us as
human beings.
108
1 0 9
such a big word brandished
by teachers during leadership
training, but is actually
something very essential to us
as human beings.
finally, there came the
expedition, which was the crux
of the SL Camp. It was a short
but extremely intense two
days spent dragonboating,
kayaking and hiking around
the island. Although all these
may seem very similar to oBS
(outward Bound Singapore)
for the Year 3s, I gained fresh
insights into leadership such as
the importance of teamwork
and perseverance. Again,
despite being big terms that
carry clichd connotations, they
only gain meaning in the face
of ones individual journey in
challenging oneself. Personally,
I had to confront my own fears
of capsizing while kayaking. I
realised ultimately that my fears
were merely constructs of the
mind and imagined constraints
to achieving what I wanted.
Likewise, the limits of my mental
and physical endurance were
put to the test during hiking,
but by remaining positive and
holding resolute to the human
spirit and will within me, I
ultimately survived the camp to
write this article!
Alongside this personal journey,
the camp was very enlightening
with regard to a united
Raffesian journey. We explored
the history of RI through a visit
to the old Bras Bash campus
where we had the chance
to meet and chat with old
Raffesians. Additionally, at the
end of the camp, each Student
Leader lighted a lamp to
signify lighting the way for the
school (as well as a reminder
of the orientation theme for
the Year 3sLodestar). This
was a symbolic and memorable
moment of triumph in our
journeys together as a school
and also on a personal level.
At the end of this, if all this
seems like an intensely personal
refection (or clichd one,
for that matter), I urge you
to look beyond this and see
the refection of the leader in
yourself as you read this article.
finally, I would sincerely like
to thank everyone involved in
making this camp a success
especially the teachers and
their immense effort in realising
the schools motto of nurturing
thinkers, leaders and pioneers
for a better age. What better
way to end this than with the
school motto: Auspicium
Melioris Aevi.
1 0 9
110
Great
Adaptations
The Hatchling
BY TEO YAONENG 1M
After six years of education
in primary school, I am ready
to start my next phase of
education in a secondary
school. I have heard numerous
stories of how big a jump it
is from primary to secondary
school, in terms of both
workload and number of hours
spent in school every day. After
studying at RI for nearly six
months, I have come to the
conclusion that there is indeed
more emphasis on holistic
education and CCA, unlike in
primary school where studies
were the main focus of our
everyday school life.
now that I am a secondary
school pupil, I fnd that the
workload has increased and
so has the number of subjects
that I take. Previously, I only
took seven subjects. However,
I now take nine subjects. To
add to that, the number of
projects I have to do has also
risen. Currently, I have projects
for History and Chinese, while
the English project has recently
been completed. Due to the
heavier workload, I sometimes
have to stay up late at night and
end up very tired the next day in
school, hence being unable to
pay close attention in class.
I really wish that I can improve
my time management skills.
I am in Track-and-field, and I
must say that CCAs are much
more competitive now. for
my CCA, I have to attend
After studying at RI for nearly six months, I have
come to the conclusion that there is indeed more
emphasis on holistic education and CCA, unlike
in primary school where studies were the main
focus of our everyday school life.
THE HATCHLING
Great Adaptations
The growth and
development of the
Raffesian is symbolised
by the life cycle of the
gryphonthe Hatchling
(Year 12), the Adolescent
(Year 34), the Adult (Year
56) and the Mature
Gryphon (Alumni)
1 1 1
One good thing
about being in RI
is that there are
many more choices
for CCAs, giving
us more options to
choose from.
training sessions three times
a week. Some time ago, a
shocking news report caught
my attention. The article was
about a rugby player who went
down with heat stroke during
rugby training and was sent to
the hospital. I hope this piece
of news serves to remind us all
not to overwork ourselves and
to drink plenty of water to keep
ourselves well-hydrated.
one good thing about being in
RI is that there are many more
choices for CCAs, giving us
more options to choose from.
I feel that Merit CCAs give many
a chance to develop our other
interests. I am in two merit CCAs
at the moment, Raffes Interact
Club and the Raffes Publications
Club. Since young, I have always
wanted to reach out more to
the community but I did not
have many chances to do so,
as my primary school had no
THE HATCHLING
Great Adaptations
112
As long as we keep on helping one
another, caring and sharing as a cohort,
as a school, we will persevere and become
the hope of a better age.
such thing as an Interact Club.
Therefore, I was bursting with
joy when I heard that there was
this wonderful thing called the
Interact Club, which allowed
me to help others in society,
together with others who have
the same interest and passion
to help. I am also very happy
that there is Publications Club
which allows me to write my own
articles and in so doing, helps
me improve my writing.
It seems to me that the
discipline system in RI is much
stricter and harsher than the one
in my primary school. The Raffes
online Warning Slip System, or
some prefer to call it RoWSS,
is the punishment system in RI
for any student who behaves
inappropriately. There is also
something called the Raffes
Diploma, which I do not know
much about. If a student receives
a warning slip, it will be written
on his record, thus affecting
his chances of getting a good
grade for his Raffes Diploma.
Another confession that I read
on Raffes Confessions was that
the student thinks that RoWSS
is unfair as some teachers issue
warning slips to students for
trivial matters such as eating
outside of the canteen.
on an ending note, the gap
between primary school and
secondary school is a big
one; one that is hard to cross.
nevertheless, I am sure that all
the Year 1s can do it, with the
help of all of you out there.
THE HATCHLING
Great Adaptations
1 1 3
Black Holes
And Revelations
The Rise of the Confessions Page
BY ALLISON CHOONG 14S05B , BRYAN CHUA 14A01A,
JEREMY KHOO 14A01B, LAW MAY NING 14S03o,
LEE CHIN WEE 14A01B, JUSTIN TAN TSE 4G, KHAIRILLAH IRWAN 3B
BLACK HOLES AND REVELATIONS
114
RJ Confessions has
become a place for
people to share light-
hearted moments
from their lives, offer
valuable advice to
juniors, polemicise on
controversial issues,
vent their frustrations,
give voice to their
misery, or, as many do,
profess their affection.
It is the new form of confession:
the anonymity of the
confessional booth replaced by
that of the Internet, and fellow
facebook users collectively
donning the robe of the priest.
As they say, vox populi, vox dei
1
.
We refer, of course, to the
rise of facebook confessions
pagesoriginally conceived
by varsity students in the US
as a place where the normally
unsayable could be broadcast
to the world (or at least some
fraction of it) under the guise of
anonymity. The trend spread,
and in february this year
some Raffesians took it upon
themselves to set up the RJ
Confessions page on facebook.
At its inception, RJ Confessions
was dominated by two kinds
of confessions: the ardent
declaration of love, and its
neer-do-well cousin, the ardent
declaration of love on behalf of a
friend. While it is unknown exactly
what proportion of the early
confessions were pranks rather
than actual missives from the
besotted and lovesick, well go
out on a limb and say that most
of them were in jest. A choice
morsel for your delectation:
Hands off, KJY please. Ill be
bearing his children, not you.
It seemed at the time that RJ
Confessions (and sister pages
like Raffes Confessions, a
combined forum for both the
Year 14 cohort and their future
schoolmates from RGS) would
simply be the latest in teenage
infatuation and inanity on
social mediahardly worthy of
an entire article on the trend.
Yet, standing as testament
to the fuid nature of social
1
A Latin expression
meaning the voice
of the people is the
voice of God
media, RJ Confessions has
become a place for people to
share light-hearted moments
from their lives, offer valuable
advice to juniors, polemicise on
controversial issues, vent their
frustrations, give voice to their
misery, or, as many do, profess
their affection.
Some even use the page as
a platform to express their
gratitude to others for their kind
deeds one confessor thanked
a couple of RJC alumni,
who accompanied him/her
throughout the rest of my train
journey, carried my bags and
even bought me a drink when
the confessor fainted on a train.
from a sociological point of view,
the Confessions page offers
insight into current topics of
interest among Raffesians. It is
perhaps analogous to someone
who dedicates their time to
moving about the corridors
of the school listening in on
conversations and broadcasting
choice morsels to everyone else.
Interesting issues have surfaced
as a result; we examine some in
greater detail below.
1 1 5
While we are
confdent that many
Raffesians strive
to act with humility
in their daily lives,
we also have to
acknowledge that
Raffes is a bubble,
and there is probably
a cultural disconnect
we have to
overcome, especially
for students who
spend six years in
the Raffes schools.
RAFFLESIAN IDENTITY
The popular and persistent
notion of Raffesian elitism has
dogged Raffesians for many
years. While we are confdent
that many Raffesians strive
to act with humility in their
daily lives, we also have to
acknowledge that Raffes is a
bubble, and there is probably
a cultural disconnect we have
to overcome, especially for
students who spend six years in
the Raffes schools.
A common sentiment shared by
quite a number of confessions
is that Raffes breeds an elitist
attitude. Bluntly worded
confessions such as I fnd the
single digit acceptance rate
among Raffesians for Harvard,
Yale and Princeton depressing
have sparked meaningful online
discussion on the presence of
such mindsets in RI.
While it certainly must be
noted that a vast majority of
Raffesians are actively aware
of the advantaged school
environment they enjoy, it is
very thought-provoking to
observe the subconscious
biases and assumptions which
some Raffesians hold being
revealed online. As a storied
institution with a strong history
of excellence and a campus
populated by many of the
top students in the nation, it
comes as little surprise that the
constructed reality perceived by
some Raffesians is not always
congruent with the actual
situation on the ground. In an
environment with a staggeringly
high college admission
rate and where stellar GCE
A-Level Examination results
are produced each year, it is
admittedly easy to view the rest
of Singapore through lenses
tinted by privilege.
116
SCHOOL CULTURE
Some students have taken to
RJ Confessions to voice their
concerns about the erosion
of school spirit and a sense
of belonging as the school
strives to be seen not just as
the nations best school but
one of the fnest educational
institutions in the world. They
are of the opinion that we have
lost a sense of identity and the
warmth of a school community
in the relentless pursuit of
excellence. Representative
of this is the transformation
that the school itself has
undergone. out have gone
the traditional, green velvet-
backed notice boards, the warm
red-bricked walls and student-
produced videosreplaced
by LCD television screens,
glass and steel facades, and
professionally produced open
house videos. While there is
no doubt that students do
beneft a great deal from such
modern surroundings, the more
nostalgic may feel an aversion
to change, and yearn for a
campus that is more familiar
and homely.
There have been some
concerns raised over the
way RI has marketed itself to
prospective students, with
one confessor feeling that that
RJ went overboard with its
self-celebratory news release
about oxford and Cambridge
admissions after the A-Level
results were announced. To
use a popular civil service
buzzword, there will always exist
a trade-off between informing
parents and alumni about our
outstanding achievements,
and trying to be modest about
these results.
It would help for us to
be actively aware of such
distinctions, and dissociate such
publicity messages from the
school culture we collectively
construct. As we strive to live
up to both the co-curricular and
academic standards expected
of a Raffesian, it would pay to
take a step back and re-think
what these standards truly are.
116
To use a popular
civil service
buzzword, there
will always exist a
trade-off between
informing parents
and alumni about
our outstanding
achievements, and
trying to be modest
about these results.
1 1 7
Most Raffesians
have adopted
mature attitudes
toward gender
issues, and the
discussions that
take place on the
site have been
largely civil.
GENDER
There have also been debates
of a more personal nature on
Raffes Confessions pagesthat
of gender politics within the
school. Confessions like I cant
believe that so many Raffesians
downplay the importance of
feminism in Singapore have
generated heated debate
among Raffesians who would
otherwise have never spoken
out about such topics. for a
majority of Raffesians who have
grown to be accustomed to a
single-sex school environment,
suddenly being thrust into the
co-educational jungle that is
the Year 56 campus would
certainly be a disorienting
experience. Although genuinely
well-intentioned, this abrupt
change in school demographics
and culture has led to some
Raffesians making remarks
which could be construed
to be tactless and sexist.
nevertheless, both in their
anonymous confessions and
their responses to perceived
sexism, most Raffesians have
adopted mature attitudes
toward gender issues, and the
discussions that take place on
the site have been largely civil.

ELECTIONS
If we are to be completely
honest, it must be said
straight from the outset that
student democracy in RI is not
student government. In fact,
if democratic government
is to be our metaphor, then
the Prefectorial Board and
Students Council are rather
more like civil servants than
politicians. Doubtlessly, they
perform several integral
functions, and many councillors
and prefects serve the student
body with dedication and
humility. the problem is that in
the eyes of the student body,
the impact of the things they
do is not equal to the vaunted
method of their selection
in other words, electoral
processes only work to fnd the
best candidates when people
genuinely care about whether
or not those elected will do
a good job, and the work
councillors and prefects do is
underrated because it doesnt
seem as though it will enable
them to change school life in
any signifcant or meaningful
way. It is our suspicion that
students would take the
election process a lot more
seriously if those elected would
wield actual political power.
Many confessors fulminating
about the reduction of the
democratic exercise to a mere
popularity contest were clearly
thinking along the same lines.
Confessions such as Its quite
sad to see council elections
118
being turned into a massive
popularity contest and The only
way to win votes is through style,
not substance refected worries
that electing school leaders was
an exercise in futility.
At least on the Y14 side, it also
seems that being a prefect is
no guarantee of meritorious
behaviour (perhaps this can
be explained as the general
mischief and immaturity
of younger students as a
whole). one confessor, who
submitted the confession:
Cheating together with school
prefects. YoLo
2
attracted
the condemnation of many.
Upon a quick inspection of
the confessions page, this was
clearly not an isolated incident,
as confessions like prefects
should just stop breaking the
school rules and the prefects
in my class play with their
handphones during lessons and
sleep during class regularly
surface on its facebook wall.
2
YoLo is slang for You
only Live once which
is used to indicate
something exciting,
usually in relation
to an excuse for
irresponsible behaviour
CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
We recall one assembly when,
as yet another student stepped
up to the podium to announce
that we had done well in some
competition or the other,
something unusual happened.
Instead of imitating the standard
format of these celebratory
announcements, he tripped on
I am pleased to announce that
we have achieved commendable
results... and bowdlerised
commendable into
condemnable. It was hilarious
at the time, and still amusing
now, but the memory also makes
us think of the countless times
weve heard that line delivered
without mistake. Success is as
integral to the Raffesian identity
as air and water are to lifein
fact, the place of success at the
centre of what it means to be
Raffesian is only questioned on
that rare occasion when we fail
to succeed.
1 1 9
Success is as integral to the Raffesian
identity as air and water are to lifein fact,
the place of success at the centre of what it
means to be Raffesian is only questioned on
that rare occasion when we fail to succeed.

The problem herein lies in the
notion that CCAs exist insofar
as they are able to bring glory
to the school, as the never-
ending stream of commendable
successes at morning assembly
may attest. Unfortunately,
because the school is forced to
operate within the constraints of
the limited resources available,
some CCAs have to be shut
down or streamlined for a
range of reasons. Popular belief
and Raffesian gossip (often
closely aligned) holds that the
controversial closing of the
Gymnastics CCA was due to
them not bagging any gold
medals over the past few years,
with the same belief also put
forward for the decision to shut
down Bowling, even though this
has been explained as making
way for the setting up of new and
more popular CCAs like fencing,
floorball, Golf and Archery.
What is seen by the Raffesian
body as the unjust closure of
CCAs has sparked controversy.
In every few posts in Raffes and
RJ Confessions, at least one
post about CCAs is bound to
crop up. Confessors are up in
arms over this focus on results:
after all, arent CCAs supposed
to nurture the interest of
students? one confessor
confesses that its just plain
demoralising when you put in
the most effort you can for a
CCA only for the school to close
it down. Another remarked
that so long as there is interest
in the CCA, there is no reason
to crush peoples dreams and
take away their opportunity to
develop their area of passion.
However, these confessions
often attribute every CCA
closure to an institutional thirst
for glory, a hasty generalisation
which has already been
debunked by teachers and
other members of staff. The
lack of willing instructors
together with dwindling
membership numbers and
interest all factor into the
schools decision to close a
CCA down. After all, while it
may seem incredibly laudable
in theory to set up a completely
new CCA even if only one
student were interested in it,
very practical considerations
mean that underperforming or
undersubscribed CCAs do have
to shut down.
120
HOW DID YOU FIRST
HEAR ABOUT THE
CONFESSION PAGES?
I heard about the confessions
when I was in the States, but
in Singapore, I only found out
from a Straits Times article about
universities setting up their
confession pages. I never really
thought it would catch on here.

SO, WHY DO YOU READ
RJ CONFESSIONS?
As members of the
Communications Department,
we read because we want to
understand whats going on
in the hearts and heads of our
students. If we see that there
are multiple posts regarding
a certain issue, we would try
to direct that as feedback to
a relevant department. That
having been said, we would still
encourage students to raise
concerns about specifc issues
to the relevant members of
staff. We know theres comfort
in anonymity, but if a particular
issue is signifcant enough, we
would want Raffesians to deal
with the issue constructively. Mrs
Lim, for instance, regularly invites
students to email her directly.
Ms Ho
Mr Chua
AT PRESENT THE PAGE HAS
OVER 3,000 LIKES; FROM SOME
OF THE POSTS IT APPEARS
THAT NOT ALL THOSE
FOLLOWING THE PAGE ARE
CURRENT STUDENTS, SOME
ARE OUTSIDERS OR EVEN OLD
RAFFLESIANS. WHAT DO YOU
THINK THIS DOES FOR THE
SCHOOLS REPUTATION?
At the end of the day, the
majority of the posts do refect
what is actually going on in the
school. Its part and parcel of a
typical school environment...
I think it was during the frst two
weeks, when some parents,
at that point, were thinking,
Should this be allowed? I think
Mrs Lim reassured those parents
that its really nothing that we
should be too concerned about.

WHAT WERE PARENTS
ACTUALLY CONCERNED
ABOUT?
Isnt it a bit young, at the age
of 17 and 18, to be thinking of
romance when they should be
studying? Its a typical reaction.
Its also an eye-opener for these
parents, if they havent thought
about this issue with regard to
their own kids...
You do see some differences in
generational concerns there.
To fnd out more about the schools take on the confessions fad, our journalists spoke to Mr Dominic
Chua and Ms Chelsia Ho from the Department of Communications, Alumni Relations and Advancement
(CARA) where Mr Chua is the Head of Creative Direction and Ms Ho is the Head of Communications. As
it turns out, some members of the school staff actually do read the confessions page! Most interestingly,
we discovered that they do review the more pressing issues discussed, adding a new dimension to the
confession pages as a view into the mind of the student body.
interviewees
120
1 2 1
Based on Ms Hos and Mr Chuas candid responses, one
sees a picture far different from that often painted by many a
complaining confessorfar from being overly restrictive and
against the confessions pages, one instead sees members of staff
who are more receptive towards student voices. While the cynics
among us may be sceptical, perhaps this is a sign of changing
times as the school increasingly adapts to social media. As Mr
Chua puts it, if confessions are actually given due consideration
and weight the confessions pages will provide a useful and
effective platform for vocal students with much to say about
the way our school is run. However, these students should also
consider stepping forward to meet the school management and
hear their side of the story.

IN CONCLUSION
It must be acknowledged that neither absolution nor requital
is the defning goal of the confessions page. The page allows
everyone, including the school, to get a handle on the sentiments
of Raffesians. Even where questionable opinions or behaviour are
put on display, we can trust in the wisdom of the Raffesian crowd
to tear down the bigoted, praise the deserving, and lift up the
depressed and down-trodden.
OCCASIONALLY, THERE
ARE SOME MORE
CONTROVERSIAL
CONFESSIONS POSTED ON
RJ CONFESSIONS LIKE LGBT
ISSUES, FAMILY PROBLEMS,
COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE
SCHOOL ETC. WHAT DO
YOU THINK ABOUT THIS?
It is what it isits a snapshot
of school life, and it really is,
perhaps, a more true-to- life,
nuanced and complex picture
of school and society thats
emerging from these posts.
These are things that, as a
school and society, we should
learn to grapple with rather than
entertain a very simplistic notion
of what life is.
A confession of errors is like a
broom which sweeps away the dirt
and leaves the surface brighter and
clearer. I feel stronger for confession.
GANDHI
1 2 1
122
ENGENDERING EQUALITY
The Feminine Eye
BY ANGELICA CHONG 14A01B, DANIELLA LOW 14A01B, GAO WENXIN 14A03A
Feminism
What does this mean for the modern woman? Has gender equality
really been achieved? Do boys need feminism? Join us as we chat
with three Raffesian feminists, Sugidha Nithi, a former litigator and
current in-house lawyer; Teng Qian Xi, a feminist writer and teacher;
and Wong Pei Chi, a board member of AWARE; as they share their
experiences as a feminist and give valuable insights into gender and
social issues pertinent to the modern Singaporean woman.
1 2 3
THE NEW AGE OF FEMINISM
feminism is no longer about
bra-burning or man-hating.
Third-wave feminism today is not
constrained by a rigid framework
or a set of criteria that delineates
what is feminist and what is not.
What used to be structured
advocacythink back to the
suffragette movements of the
early 20th centuryis now
represented more and more
commonly as the personal
embodiment of feminist ideals.
The process of becoming a
feminist is very organicmost
peoples paths to feminism,
including our interviewees,
stem from personal issues that
they hold close to their heart,
and not lofty principles that are
somehow separated from what
they go through every day.
Todays feminism deals not
only with core issues like the
legal and reproductive rights of
women, but has branched out
to tackle the fundamental biases
present in societys delineation
of gender roles. feminism today
is deeply personalit deals
with the everyday experiences
of any woman on the street:
casual sexism in the judgment
of women based on what
they wear and how they look,
indiscriminate name-calling,
and the perpetuation of gender
stereotypes that are, ultimately,
needlessly binary and artifcial.
Most people think of feminism
as a set of lofty ideals, or a
movement that demanded
radicalization and the choosing
of sides. More and more
people today, however, fall into
feminism in ways that, at frst,
seem to have nothing to do with
what is conventionally defned as
womens rights at all.
for Ms Teng Qian xi,
educational and professional
privileges meant that she had
never considered how her
gender affected the reception of
her work as a writer and political
critic. Instead, her entry point
into feminism had been through
body acceptance blogs: By
2009, I think I had not shaken
off the understanding that the
way I looked was still a huge
determinant of my value as a
person, no matter how many
other accomplishments Id
racked up along the way. It was a
really big psychological block.
While some might not be able
to see the link between body
acceptance and feminismor,
to be more specifc, mainstream
second-wave feminismit is
a growing feld within third-
wave feminism that focuses on
women who are discriminated
against because of their size.
fat-positive feminism might
seem inconsequential to some
124
All these things
build up and tend to
have a cumulative
effect, especially in
a workplace where
I, personally, as a
young woman, had
the least power in
the whole hierarchy.
MS WONG PEI CHI
when compared to the strides
taken for the emancipation of
women and various workplace
and reproductive rights,
but it must be understood
that the casual dismissal of
supposedly trivial issues like
body acceptance is the product
of a historically oppressive
patriarchal society.
As Ms Wong Pei Chi pointed
out, various microaggressions
that occur in the form of lookist
comments and the casual
stereotyping of women lead
to an overall negative effect:
All these things build up and
tend to have a cumulative
effect, especially in a workplace
where I, personally, as a young
woman, had the least power
in the whole hierarchy. They
dont necessarily directly
impede you in your work, but
the link between the underlying
attitudes and actual behavior is
what worries me.
While there are plenty of women
like Ms Sugidha who are able to
turn the tables around on this
kind of pervasive mindset, such
as using the underestimation
of male counterparts to their
advantage; in the end these are,
as Ms Wong says, individual
solutions to structural problems
where the womans ability to
handle the pressure and constant
casual sexism in the workplace
is contingent on how well she is
able to stand up to it personally.
Even then, research has shown
that women in power are
often accused of being overly
aggressive or bitchy even when
all the traits they display are
positively described as assertive
features when seen in men. It
is no wonder, then, that women
who are merely asking for the
space they should have in a
largely patriarchal and exclusive
system, are not as placid as
society would like them to be.
THE FEMININE EYE
1 2 5
You shouldnt have to be apologeticnobody
has to be apologetic about feeling angry for
something they believe in.
MS SUGIDHA NITHI
JUSTIFIED ANGER?
feminism has often been
accused of being overly radical,
angry, and man-hating, so much
so that a number of feminists
have raised the question of
feminisms image and whether
a revamp is in order. What is left
unaddressed, even today, is the
inherently imbalanced power
structure in society: the society
where man is still the default
and everything else is defned
in relation to that. feminists
have always been accused of
man-hating because it is a very
effective way of silencing a
threatening movement. Thus
when feminists point out and
object to oppression, abuse
and discriminationbe it the
prevalence of domestic violence
to cat-calling in the streets
this is framed as misandry in
order to vilify feminists so that
the patriarchal behaviour can
continue unchecked.
As Ms Sugidha nithi
commented, Just because you
hate the inequality, doesnt
mean you hate men. What
you hate is the structure that
gives them the benefts they
have. You shouldnt have to be
apologeticnobody has to be
apologetic about feeling angry
for something they believe
in. Instead of tone-policing
and shifting the onus onto
feminists to present their views
in a palatable way, should the
responsibility not, then, fall
on the privileged groupin
this case, sexist mento
recognize their privilege, and
acknowledge the validity of
womens concerns?
A NEW APPROACH
of course, women should
not just sit back and hope
that magically one day men
will reform society overnight.
feminists today take back what
they can, little by little, through
the reclamation of words and
ideas. As Inga Muscio, a feminist
writer puts it, women should
be free to seize a word that
was kidnapped and co-opted
in a pain-flled, distant past,
with a ransom that cost [their]
grandmothers freedom,
children, traditions, pride and
land. The reappropriation of
derogatory terms like bitch and
slut involves the reevaluation
of their meanings when used by
men in a sexist fashion, and has
arguably led to personal and
socio-political empowerment
within feminist circles. The locus
of control over these words then
shifts to the marginalised group,
where they then are empowered
to revalue these stigmatising
labels and defne themselves as
they choose.
THE FEMININE EYE
Sugidha Nithi, Teng Qian Xi & Wong Pei Chi
126
feminism is no longer a
universal set of behaviours,
doctrine, or a strict creed that
has to be followed; the personal
is the political, and every woman
reacts and deals with these
problems in their own way. And
these ways, as long as they
promote gender equality and
are not sexist in nature, be they
aggressive or subversive, are
all valid. There is no longer an
all-encompassing idea of what
feminism should be; instead,
there has been a distinct shift
from the essentialism of second-
wave feminism, which often
assumed a universal female
identity that was both restrictive
and reductionist.
INTERSECTIONALITY:
INCLUSIVE FEMINISM
feminism does not exist in
a vacuumor at least not
anymore. Intersectionality is the
new word of the day, a theory
which holds that the classical
models of oppression within
society, such as those based
on race/ethnicity, gender,
class, sexual orientation,
religion or disability do not
act independently of one
another; instead, these forms
of oppression interrelate
and create a system of
oppression that refects the
intersection of multiple forms
of discrimination.
The concept of intersectionality
arose largely due to the
absolutism of second-wave
feminism that excluded many
other marginalised groups that
faced oppression from various
fronts. focusing on just one
aspect of oppression without
considering how it interacts
with others is alienating and
often results in a lack of real
progress. Take, for instance,
the upper-middle-class white
liberal feminists who once
dominated and defned the
movementthey failed to
realise that their activism, useful
and wonderful though it may
be, did not give them a free
pass on other problematic
behavior. Just because one
fghts for feminism doesnt mean
one can get away with racism,
homophobia, or classism. Being
part of one oppressed group
does not give one the right to
oppress others, either actively or
passively, by ignoring problems
other marginalised groups have
brought up. There are sexist
Chinese, just as there are racist
homosexuals, just as there are
homophobic Christians, just as
there are homophobic atheists.
All of these people can be male
or female. Where, then, does
feminism ft in?
Acclaimed third-wave feminists
like bell hooks have also argued
that mens liberation is a
necessary part of feminism, and
that men are also harmed by
sexism and gender roles. She
has stressed that by positing
in an inverted form the notion
of basic confict between the
Just because one
fghts for feminism
doesnt mean one
can get away with
racism, homophobia,
or classism.
THE FEMININE EYE
1 2 7
THE FEMININE EYE
from left: Daniella Low,
Wong Pei Chi, Teng Qian xi
and Gao Wenxin
128
It is no longer what women
should do to advocate
womens rightsit is what
we should not do that
counts as well.
sexes, the implication being
that the empowerment of
women would necessarily be at
the expense of men, second-
wave feminists have reinforced
sexist ideology. Because
men are the primary agents
maintaining and supporting
sexism and sexist oppression,
they can only be eradicated if
men are compelled to assume
responsibility for transforming
their consciousness and the
consciousness of society as
a whole. feminism and the
various movements with which
it intersects are essential for
men as well: through the
breaking down of normative
barriers and fghting back
against oppression, men
too can be liberated from
the constraints of gender
stereotypingthese arbitrary
rules that men have to be
masculine; that their masculinity
is somehow a measure of their
worth; that to be effeminate
is to be gay; that to be gay is
a bad thing. In the end, the
feminist movement is one that
promotes womens rights, in
the quest for gender equality.
once again, one can see
how intersectionality is key to
combating systemic oppression
in society. feminism is but one
of numerous ways through
which real people, who are
beaten down, day by day, in
very real and tangible ways, can
fght back.
CLASH OF GENDERS IN
SCHOOLS
In the context of any co-ed
school, there are bound to be
clashes arising from gender
issues. When a boy teases a girl
about her size, it can be refective
of a male chauvinistic mindset.
There are the assumptions that
fat and beauty do not mix and
that pretty girls should not be
fat, which are views shaped by
society and not entirely because
of the fault of the individual.
As mentioned previously, body
acceptance is a very real issue in
society today, especially among
teenage girls. The fact that girls
too, join in the taunting, plays
a part in encouraging the boys
behaviour. It is no longer what
women should do to advocate
womens rightsit is what we
should not do that counts as
well. In some ways, it is true
that women ought to earn the
respect they feel they deserve
and not follow the popular
vein of thought, because what
is popular may not always be
right. However, boys also have
to realise that even if society
perpetuates the notion that it is
okay for them to continue their
THE FEMININE EYE
1 2 9
Feminism should
not be gender-
exclusive, and
anyone who claims
they support gender
equality, is also a
feminist.
immature behaviour because
boys will be boys, it is not the
right thing to do and they should
respect the girls regardless of
their appearance.
Even within the classroom,
gender affects the
contributions being made in
class. According to a study
by the Public Broadcasting
Service (PBS), teachers are
often unaware of the gender
distribution of talk in their
classrooms, where only in
retrospect do they realise
that boys are dominating the
interactions. It could be due to
the domineering nature of the
boys that intimidates the girls,
and while the onus is on the
girls to speak up more as well,
it is also the boys responsibility
to encourage others to speak
up. feminism should not be
gender-exclusive, and anyone
who claims they support
gender equality, is also a
feminist. It is simple actions like
that that help in the advocacy
for gender equality.
SCHOLARLY PLATFORMS
FOR CHANGE
Specifc to RI is the RJ
Confessions facebook page
that now has over 4,000 likes on
facebook. This page has been
a platform of many a gripe on
lost love and broken hearts, but
recently, the debate on feminism
has cropped up. Ranging from
things like whether girls should
sit with their legs wide open,
to cross-dressing, to whether
national Service or the monthly
cycle is worse, these are issues
which are present in the daily
lives of the students. These
seemingly inconsequential
conficts do refect the broader
issue of gender equality, as
well as deal with the important
question: Where do we draw the
line? Is it appropriate or decent
for girls to sit like the boys do?
Is it wrong if a boy decides he
likes dressing as a girl better?
Should national Service be made
compulsory for girls as well?
While RI does not have any
offcial community or student
interest group that deals
with gender issues, or more
broadly, social justice, there
are many Raffesians, both
past and present, who are
heavily invested in the feminist
movement. Indeed, all three
interviewees are Raffes alumni
who have demonstrated their
passion for the advocacy of
feminism. At present, we have
two Year 5 students, Michelle
Lee (14A01B) and Wong Kwang
Lin (14A01E) who are co-chairs
of AWAREs latest initiative,
a youth chapter that aims to
educate youth about gender
equality. As of now, AWARE
THE FEMININE EYE
130
Sugidha nithi (RGS 1980; RJC, 1982) is an in-house lawyer and former litigator in Singapore. Her feisty nature keeps her opponents on their toes in
her line of work. She sometimes has to travel to nigeria for work and it is all good fun.
Teng Qian xi (RGS, 1999) is a writer and teacher. Since her youth, she has been a very vocal feminist and political critic. Her work They hear
salt crystallising (2010) has been nominated for the 2012 Singapore Literature Prize, and includes poems on topics ranging from politics to
gender issues. She stumbled into teaching two years ago and is currently tutoring at School of Thought.
Wong Pei Chi (RGS, 2000; RJC, 2002) has been an AWARE Board member since 2012. She was a key member of the no to Rape campaign which
started in 2009, involving an online petition calling for the Prime Minister to abolish the legal immunity for marital rape. for this project, she has won
the 2011 AWARE Young Wonder Award along with her teammates.
Other than spreading awareness among your
social groups, its also important to weed out
people who will perpetuate microaggressions.
MS TENG QIAN XI
is launching the We Can!
campaign, which aims to build a
network of change makers who
will help spread awareness on
issues of gender equality and
violence against women.
for budding feminists who
wish to actively advocate the
cause and are starting out
small, being open about your
beliefs is keyeven seemingly
insignifcant acts like sharing
feminist articles on facebook
can change peers perceptions
of gender, and encourage
like-minded acquaintances to
come out of the woodwork.
Besides that, there is a real
need for a support system. As
Ms Wong says, If youre going
to engage individually, youre
going to get a lot of fakand
thats where your friends come
Want to know more
about feminism but
dont know where
to start? Check out
these links:
http://
fnallyfeminism101.
wordpress.com
http://
feminismawesome.
tumblr.com/
http://www.feministe.
us/blog/archives/
in. Its very comforting and
heart-warming to fnd solidarity
amongst feminists who feel the
same way. naturally, if friends
have to be found, naysayers
have to be dealt with. other
than spreading awareness
among your social groups, its
also important to weed out
people who will perpetuate
microaggressions, advises Ms
Teng. While civil interaction is
inevitable, you should exercise
as much agency as possible
over your social time. of
course, the most obvious way
to become a feminist is to
actively engage with feminism
in your everyday life, something
that Ms Sugidha frmly
believes in: If you come across
something that doesnt sit right
with you, dont sit down. Give
back as good as you get.
THE FEMININE EYE
1 3 1
We speak to two
prominent Raffesian
photographers Esna
Ong and Aidan
Mock about their
different approaches
to photography,
their infuences
and photographic
opportunities in
Singapore.
Esna ong
I think the joy
in photography
lies in helping
people notate their
memories. It matters
a lot to them and it
makes them happy.
Aidan Mock
I have a very
bad memory,
so initially I took
photographs to
remember things.
PHOTOGRAPHERS
PURPOSEFUL
The Artist
BY JAYNE CHAN 14S03D, LIM CI HUI 14A03B AnD
VO VAN QUOC TOAN 14S05A
132
THE ARTIST
With the rise of social media
sites such as Instagram which
allow just about anyone to easily
edit and upload pictures, one
might be inclined to forget
that photography is so much
more than just pressing a few
buttons on ones smartphone.
Raffes is privileged to have two
talented individuals, for whom
photography is about more than
capturing the moment. Instead,
through their photos they
hope to tell stories, preserve
memories and create meaning.
Photographers Esna ong
(13S05A) and Aidan Mock
(13A01B) had similar reasons for
taking up photography. I have
a very bad memory, so initially I
took photographs to remember
things, said Aidan, but it
progressed to being able to
tell stories about other people,
portraying their lives, and
sharing it with a wider audience.
Esna, similarly, believes that
her passion for photography
stems from capturing life and
its moments. I think the joy in
photography lies in helping
people notate their memories.
It matters a lot to them and it
makes them happy.
for many, the ultimate goal
of a photographer is to take
For many, the
ultimate goal of a
photographer is to
take good photos
which they often
take to mean good-
looking photos.
Aidan Mock, Skyline
Sunset, 2013
132
1 3 3
THE ARTIST
Aidan Mock & Esna Ong
good photoswhich they
often take to mean good-
looking photos. While Esna
and Aidan acknowledge that
a photos aesthetic qualities is
a factor in judging if it is any
good, they both concur that it
is not the most signifcant one.
It is the purpose that matters,
they both agreed, when asked
to distinguish an excellent
piece of photography from an
amateurish one.
In fact, with the prevalence of
digital cameras and editing
software today, it has become
much easier to use technical aids
to improve photos, something
Aidan is quick to acknowledge:
A lot of photos nowadays are
edited. So if you want to be able
to stand on the same ground
with fellow photographers, I
guess the cheap way would be
to edit your photos to make
them look good. for Esna,
editing is a part of photographic
process itself. You can hardly
get a perfect shot in a natural
environment, she admits, there
will always be problems with
lighting, balance and other
issues. So I think taking photos
and editing them go together.
Another trend in photography
has seen the proliferation of
mobile phone photography
and phone applications such
as Instagram. Both of them see
the benefts in this trend. Esna
is a proud user of Instagram
herself and both of them see
Instagrams usefulness as a
great sharing tool and as an
effective means to record
moments in life. However,
Aidan chooses a rather apt
metaphor to characterise it,
calling it a visual Twitter,
pointing to how individuals are
increasingly posting photos
without any consideration of
their meaningfulness.
1 3 3
134
In many ways Instagram
has become a fad and an
infatuation which has fed
into commercial culture and
professional photography. This
is something Aidan is rather
critical of. Last year during
the fukushima tsunami, Time
sent out photographers who
covered the disaster using their
iPhones and Instagram. Theyre
using it purely for the sake of
using it, not because it helps
them improve their articles. Its
become a fad which kind of
defeats its purpose.
Moving on to the common
claim from budding
photographers that there
is a dearth of photographic
opportunities in Singapore,
both Esna and Aidan were
quick to disagree. An intensive
photography mentorship
programme, in which he chose
the now-defunct Tanjong
Pajar Railway Station as his
photography subject, changed
Aidans views on this issue. Its
not true that theres nothing
to shoot in Singapore. I found
out along the way that (the
station) is one of many places
that had a lot of character. Its
all about fnding these places.
for example, Bukit Brown has
tons of shooting potential.
It just depends on the level
of commitment you have to
going out and fnding them,
and the amount of work you
put in. Esna, too, believes that
there are a lot of photographic
opportunities in Singapore. for
her it is matter of putting in the
effort to fnding messages that
you want to convey through
photographs: There are a lot
of social issues in Singapore,
such as poverty, that we can
portray through photography.
You shouldnt focus on our
island being so small; if you
look deeper there are a lot of
photographic opportunities
out there.
While Esnas and Aidans
motivations for photography
were initially similar, their
philosophies have differed
over the course of their
photographic journey,
something that is clearly
evident with their photographic
inspirations. Esnas is french
photographer Henri Cartier-
Bresson: His philosophies
resonate with me a lot. He is
very into capturing the moment,
and he would say things like in
the moment a lot of elements
would be aligned and the
photographers job is to capture
them. I love his work because
it is aesthetically perfecthe
is able to time his stuff, what
happens in the photo, and
thats what I like doing too.
Aidan, on the other hand,
is inspired by the work of
war photographers such as
Tim Hetherington and Chris
Hondros, both of whom were
killed on the frontlines three
years ago while covering the
Libyan crisis. I really like the
work of war photographers,
its something that is often
overlookeda lot of people see
20, 30 photos a week and sadly
grow immune to them, but its
still important as they document
different phases of humanitys
progression and the sort of
things humanity is capable of.
When somebody looks at the
vietnam war photos, there are
lots of terrible photos of things
that people have done, about
Agent orange, about the sort
of abuse the American GIs did
to the vietnamese peasants,
vietnamese troopsa lot of
these are sensitive, but they
also remind us of things that
have happened, and they are
a reminder that we should not
backslide into doing those sort
of things again. In the Boston
Marathon, three people died,
but in the months preceding
Esna ong, 'Everyday Smile', 2012
THE ARTIST
1 3 5
Its not true that
theres nothing to
shoot in Singapore.
I found out along
the way that (the
station) is one of
many places that had
a lot of character. Its
all about fnding
these places.
AIDAN MOCK
Esna ong, Take flight, 2012
Esna ong, Right Side Up, 2011
Esna ong, Starlight, 2011
1 3 5
136
Aidan Mock, Bhutan;
november 12, 2012
1 3 7
Photography is more of an art to me.
Aesthetic composition is importantI
fnd personal enjoyment in constructing
photographs, putting all the elements into
one solid photo, to best capture what is
going on in that moment.
ESNA ONG
that, there was a US bomb that
exploded in an Afghanistan
wedding and 30 people died
theres such a large contrast
between what we see, what we
hear, what we care about.
Indeed, Aidan has strong views
about censorship, particularly
the recent controversy about
the alteration of the Boston
Marathon photographs to omit
gory details because there were
not considered appropriate
for public consumption. His
stand on the issue is clear
and he thinks such images
might be a catalyst to jolt
people into action: I think it
should be shownto kids,
adults, everyone. If you ask the
average person on the street,
they probably wont be able
to tell you about the daily life
of someone halfway across the
world, and they will ask you why
they should care. If we are the
so-called defenders of global
liberty and justice, why are
we overlooking the bloodiest,
greatest conficts that are
happening, even to this day?
There are not enough people
who are aware and willing to
do something about it, and
photography has the potential
to address both of these issues
to a great degree. Indeed,
many people are caught up in
their own lives, not very aware
of such things, and not by any
fault of their own. I think these
images need to be shared.
Given such strong sentiments it
probably comes as no surprise
that Aidan wants to become
a photojournalist and war
photographer himself. While he
is realistic about the dangers
of his chosen profession, he
clearly feels the importance in
documenting other peoples
lives. Its my dream to be a
professional photographer,
he acknowledges, there are
many aspects of professional
photography, and the ones I
would be happy ending up in
are photojournalism and war
photography. It is something
I would like to study, and Im
pretty sure about that, hopefully
I can pursue my dream
passions might evolve as you
progress, or take on different
aspects, but for now I am pretty
set on photojournalism and I
hope to study it in the US.
If Aidan regards photography
as a form of social commentary,
Esna has however a different
take of her own. As a student
photographer and flmmaker,
Esna shoots photos to capture
lifes moments. To her, it is
the spontaneity of experience
that appeals. Photography is
more of an art to me. Aesthetic
composition is importantI
fnd personal enjoyment in
constructing photographs,
putting all the elements into
one solid photo, to best
capture what is going on in
that moment. When asked
about her extensive coverage
of school events and whether
she strives for artistic value
even in photographs serving
a largely informative function,
she replied, Covering school
events is both an interest
and responsibility for me; for
every photo you take should
consciously try to construct
all the elements so it is
aesthetically pleasing.
As for whether her dream lies
in photography as well, Esna
said, I would not discount
that, because I only have a
few passions, mainly, flm and
photography, but Im still
keeping my options open.
for me, photojournalism
is interesting as well. I also
wouldnt mind wedding
photography, because you
need a lot of aesthetic creativity,
and you get to take a lot of
emotions between the bride
and the groom, the parents,
and the friends.
Whether as a means of social
commentary, preserving
memories, telling stories, or
creating a piece of art, both
Aidan and Esna have shown that
photography at its heart should
be about a larger purpose and
meaning, not just the narcissism of
ones own experiences.
THE ARTIST
Aidan Mock & Esna Ong
138
BY TEOH REN JIE
THE WRITER
The School at Night
When I think back to my time
in Raffes the thing I seem to
remember most clearly is the
school at night. Like many of
us, I often had occasion to stay
back in school past sundown, for
CCA or for a meeting or simply
because it was Year 6 and that
it was what people did as the
A-Levels approached.
At night, the lights came on and
threw everything into a sharp
relief. Under their fuorescent
glare, youd notice little things
youd never seen before.
Youd suddenly realise how harsh
and how real the peeling walls of
plaster around you were, and how
every smudge and stain on them
seemed to hold their own story
the imprint of a shoe at waist
height, the mark from a slouching
back, a crack where a table had
been pushed violently against
the wall. Youd notice discarded
clothes piled haphazardly in a
corner and youd wonder whose
they were and if their owners
would ever return to claim them.
Youd see two of your classmates
sitting together, hands flled with
pen and paper and yet somehow
almost touching, and a little voice
inside you would wonder if they
were dating.
And then there was the silence,
a silence characterised not by
the lack of all noise, but by the
muting of what noise there
was. The silence that seemed
imposed, as if the school itself
was struggling against it, eager
Teoh Ren Jie (RI, 2011) was a national debater
and a student of the Humanities Programme.
He is currently studying in Harvard University
on a Public Service Commission scholarship.
The School
At Night
The Writer
1 3 9
to return to its usual state of
noise and hubbub and life. It was
a silence that was so unnatural
it could somehow wake you up
from sleep with a start, your body
conditioned to associate sleeping
in school with the background of
a teachers voice.
The silence got to you worst if
you were alone. Itd make you
look up from your work and
pause for a moment to wonder at
how loud the fans in the canteen
sounded without din of activity to
mask their droning. Then youd
cast your gaze around you for a
fellow human being and see a
stranger glancing around too.
And then youd both glance
back to your books quickly and
pretend your eyes had never met,
too scared to admit to each other
that youd been feeling alone;
but somehow also forming an
unspoken companionship in that
moment of feeting contact, the
memory of which might make the
both of you exchange a smile or a
word as you fnally packed up and
went home, more than strangers
but less than friends.
I remember the light and the
silence of the school at night.
I remember how they formed
a barrier that held back the
dark and the end of another
day. I remember how, in that
warm cocoon, we could keep
pretending that we would always
be young and would never have
to leave this place with its strange
hurts and highs and illusions. In
the school at night, I could almost
believe that the dark would never
end, that tomorrow would never
come, and I that would never
have to cross into my future with
steps that seemed too uncertain
for my age.
THE WRITER
Teoh Ren Jie
I remember how, in that
warm cocoon, we could
keep pretending that we
would always be young
and would never have to
leave this place with its
strange hurts and highs
and illusions.
140
AUTHoRS
CHIA YUN ZE,
MELISSA CHIA,
PEARLYNN SIM,
TERH SHIN HUOY,
CHOO XIN YI,
GREGORY YAP
ALL fRoM THE RI CLASS of 2012
ARTIST
LIM ZHI JIE (13S03L)
TEACHER MEnToR
MR TAN SI JIE,
RAffLES InSTITUTE of
ExPERIEnTIAL LEARnInG
Call of the Wild
A Feature on Eco-lits Newest Book
CALL OF THE WILD
Book Review
BY MATHEW GAN 14A01C
AnD HUANG SIHAN 14S06D
1 4 1
People dont notice what is around them
anymore, said team member Pearlynn Sim
(RI, 2012), and that is what the book intends
to change.
CALL OF THE WILD
Book Review
A journey into Ubin flled with
forest animals with a talking
hornbill for a companion, all
in an afternoons read. Sounds
impossible? Think again!
The Raffes Ecological Literacy
Programmes (Eco-lit for
short) recently published You
Been to Ubin?, the newest
addition to their ongoing
series of childrens books about
Singapores fora and fauna.
As part of the programme,
each team has to conceive a
project targeted at children
that promotes the conservation
and appreciation of nature.
one group chose to do this by
exploring the hidden treasures
of Pulau Ubin, hoping to
encourage more visitors to the
island. People dont notice
what is around them anymore,
said team member Pearlynn Sim
(RI, 2012), and that is what the
book intends to change.
The book tells the story of
Lloyd, a boy newly arrived on
Ubin, who has to follow clues
left by his grandfather and
overcomes various obstacles to
help Tomo, a talking hornbill,
fnd his way home. Along the
way, bite-sized facts dot the
pages, teaching children about
the conservation of Pulau Ubin
through fun-flled activities.
The frst noticeable feature of
the book was the illustrations,
done by talented home-grown
artist Lim Zhi Jie (13S03L),
who is offering a H1 in Art.
The illustrations included
intricate hand-painted
watercolour drawings and
carefully designed puzzles that
were colourful, vibrant and
arresting. It was evident that an
142
enormous amount of effort had
gone into creating the artwork
for the book. In fact, Zhi Jie
informed us that it took a full
day of work to create a single
plate of watercolours.
Despite Zhi Jies protestations
that the watercolours were
not completely how (he)
envisioned it and they were
not as detailed as he would
have liked, and that drawing
trees was not his strong suit (he
actually would have preferred
to paint more animals), we
found the artwork to be truly
impressive, resplendent on
every one of the books twenty-
four pages.
Beyond the beauty of the
drawings, painstaking research
was done to ensure the
paintings were an accurate
representation of the fora and
fauna of Ubin. The effort to
successfully get the details right
without detracting from the
overall style is an achievement
in itself, and more than enough
to bring Ubin to life right under
our noses.
As for the text itself, it nicely
weaves the story of Lloyd
seamlessly into the message
of conservation that the team
advocates. A scene where
Lloyd must fnd a way to free
a horseshoe crab illustrates
this nicely as it is also a glaring
example of how irresponsible
individuals can cause signifcant
harm to the ecosystem. The
book also featured various
Beyond the beauty
of the drawings,
painstaking
research was
done to ensure
the paintings
were an accurate
representation of
the fora and fauna
of Ubin.
The authors, from left to right:
Chia Yun Ze, Melissa Chia,
Pearlynn Sim, Terh Shin Huoy,
Choo xin Yi, Gregory Yap
CALL OF THE WILD
Book Review
1 4 3
meaningful characters who
managed to engage the
reader by telling us about their
homePulau Ubin. on the
whole, the story was an engaging
way to teach the uninitiated
more about the environment.
How exactly did the writers
get inspiration for this book?
The frst sparks of inspiration
occurred during a fve day Eco-
lit camp on Ubin led by their
teacher-mentor Mr Tan Si Jie,
exposing them to the wondrous
qualities of the island. over the
course of the camp, the Eco-lit
students immersed themselves
in the fora and fauna of the
island and even got to know
some of the villagers. Realising
that the islands place in society
was becoming more precarious
as Singapore became
increasingly modernised, the
authors wanted to share their
love of the island with others
and encourage its preservation.
Indeed, the story is thus much
more than fction and is based
on the writers real experience
of the place, as well as multiple
authentic feld studies of its
environment. A fertile source
of inspiration for the book were
the students own sketchbooks,
which they carried with them
during the camp to record
the many facets of the natural
environment they encountered
during their stay on Ubin.
one diffculty that the writers
had was deciding what to leave
in and what had to be taken
out. of course, we would
liked to have said many more
things in the book, but due
to constraints, we had to cut
out about two-thirds of our
material. Thankfully, this did
not prevent them from bringing
across the main message of
conservation and appreciation
for the environmentIn fact,
Lloyds little odyssey through
Ubins foliage is evocative
precisely because of its
simplicity in design and tale.
The book is a delightful piece
of work. The countless hours
spent into making this shines
through clearly in the artfully
designed pages, and carefully
crafted words. The biggest
praise we can give the book
is that it can send you straight
into the thickets of Ubin.
So, what are you waiting for?
The wild beckons.
Realising that the islands place in society
was becoming more precarious as Singapore
became increasingly modernised, the authors
wanted to share their love of the island with
others and encourage its preservation.
Illustrator Lim Zhi Jie
CALL OF THE WILD
Book Review
144
GIVING BACK
The new Raffes Community Initiative aims to engage the larger
Raffesian family in giving back to the less privileged.
Core to the Raffesian Soul
GIVING BACK
Core to the Rafflesian Soul
BY JUNE LEE
1 4 5
GIVING BACK
Recently, fve literature students
from the Class of 2013 wrote
and launched a book of stories
about the lives of former drug
addicts. Since May, 1,000 copies
of Sense of a Beginning have
been distributed to schools
and public libraries across
Singapore. Then, there is also
Raffes Runway, a CCA that
provides a platform for creative
expression through fashion
designing. It has since evolved
into an annual fashion show
cum dinner event at RI that also
raises funds for charities such as
the School Pocket Money fund.
over the last four years, on
average, RI students have
initiated or conducted 450
community service projects,
34 overseas projects and
partnered 76 voluntary Welfare
organisations (vWos) every year.
our philosophy is that we
should take the lead in serving
the community. So the idea
of community outreach and
impacting the community is
central to our mission and vision
to be the Hope of a Better Age,
said Principal Mrs Lim Lai Cheng.
Taking the lead to engage in
community service is nothing
new in RI. The institution has
a longstanding history of
community service. Its alumni,
Lee Kuan Yew, S Rajaratnam
and Tan Teck Chwee, have
devoted their lives to public
service and administration. Its
tradition carries on in the lives
of current students today who
regularly initiate and engage in
a plethora of service projects.
These projects have, so far,
been partly funded by the
1823 fund.
When we started the 1823 fund,
one aspect was to have people
contribute to student-initiated
projects so that students dont
have to go all over the place
looking for money to fund their
projects and they can go straight
into them. So it was a very small
and modest effort, explained
Mrs Lim.
Since then, the vision and
mission for this modest
effort has evolved. It wants
to be more encompassing
with the aim of involving the
larger Raffes community as
well. Hence, the new Raffes
Community Initiative (RCI) is a
rallying call for all Raffesians,
past and present, to always give
back to society, especially those
who are less privileged.
I wanted something like the
Clinton Global Initiative (an
initiative to convene global
leaders to create and implement
innovative solutions to the worlds
most pressing challenges);
something global which will rally
all Raffesians to say that this is
a core movement we want to
create among the alumni, the
alumnis parents and parents of
current students, Mrs Lim shared.
Our philosophy is
that we should take
the lead in serving
the community.
So the idea of
community outreach
and impacting the
community is central
to our mission and
vision to be the Hope
of a Better Age.
MRS LIM LAI CHENG
146
Another group of Raffesians
refurbished some homes
in Boon Lay Drive estate
despite having no experience
in painting and cleaning.
organised by a team of
fve Year 4 students, the
refurbishment project was a
partnership between RI and
viriya Community Services.
Some units were given a fresh
coat of paint while others were
given a thorough cleaning.
The 100-odd volunteers not
only picked up a tip or two
about painting, they also
walked away learning that
sometimes a little effort on
everyones part goes a long
way in brightening someone
elses life. The act of helping
someone is an extremely
gratifying experience and
though it is tiring, I felt
extremely pleased with all the
hard work I had put in. It also
offers the opportunity for us to
understand more about those
who are less well-off in society,
Chew Khai Syuen (3Q) summed
up his experience well,
one project that has been
particularly successful and is
in its fourth year is the Eagles
Eye programme which is
organised in collaboration with
SInDA (The Singapore Indian
Development Association). It
is aimed at nurturing bright
Primary 5 and 6 students
from humble backgrounds
by getting proper guidance
and support from the Year
5 and 6 student mentors
from the Raffes Interact
Club. The programme has
been successful in preparing
students for the PSLE
examinations as well as
GROWING THE COMMUNITY
CONSCIOUSNESS
The school also hopes that this
initiative can help to integrate
community consciousness with
the schools programming.
We havent really instituted it
as a core programme so I think
now we want to draw everybody
together to do it as a core
purpose, Mrs Lim reiterated.
In the pipeline are plans to
fne-tune the international
component of the Gap Semester
that requires students to do
some community engagement.
So, that will ensure that there is
a core programme in the school
that requires students to
commit to community projects
as part of their course work
and that would be at Year 4,
Mrs Lim expounded.
Projects initiated in RI so far
have been wide-ranging and
the ways students use to
engage the community are
getting more creative.
one of the interesting projects
was initiated by the Raffes
Debaters. The Raffesians
introduced the art of debating
to some 250 enthusiastic primary
school kids from 30 schools.
They held a Debating 101
Workshop and even gave them
an opportunity to interact with
fellow debaters on the circuit.
My pupils certainly enjoyed
themselves and had many
takeaways. not only did they
learn debating techniques, they
also witnessed how true student
leaders pass it forward and
help others! remarked Mrs val
Low of Punggol Primary School.
Raffes Interact
collaborating with
SInDA to tutor primary
school students
GIVING BACK
1 4 7
GIVING BACK
The programme is a good platform
for students like me to put our
talents, such as playing musical
instruments, to good use by
conducting enrichment programmes
for the mentees.
CLAUDIA KOH
148
providing them with additional
enrichment support such as
music appreciation and visits
to educational facilities like the
Singapore Science Centre.
our mentee, Suvetha, has
found it a very fulflling
experience. Her grades have
improved signifcantly and
she has learnt to focus and
concentrate better during
her lessons. Another mentee,
Thiru, has found the experience
enriching as he has not only
improved academically but also
has learnt to appreciate sports
as he stays back to play soccer
with the mentors after his
lessons, said Ms Sharon Cross,
the teacher in charge of
the programme.
It has beneftted the mentors as
well. The programme is a good
platform for students like me to
put our talents, such as playing
musical instruments, to good
use by conducting enrichment
programmes for the mentees.
The 1:1 ratio of mentors to
mentees enables us to tailor
the academic programmes to
suit the individual needs of the
mentees, head mentor Claudia
Koh (13S03I), expressed.
GIVING BACK
INVOLVING THE LARGER
RAFFLES COMMUNITY TO
SERVE THE COMMUNITY
Besides student initiated
projects, local or overseas
community projects initiated
by CCAs, alumni and parents
can also tap into this new fund
for support.
Mrs Goh Swee Hong, former
Chairperson of the Raffes
Parents Association (RPA),
welcomes the Initiative. In
2012, she initiated and led a
group of 28 parents and their
children to visit the Somrong
village in the Barray District in
Cambodia. The group taught
basic oral hygiene practices
and English to about 150 school
children, gave the school and its
playground equipment a fresh
coat of paint and look as well
as distributed clothes and food
items to the village families
during their seven-day trip.
I am so happy that the Raffes
Community Initiative will
be supporting projects like
our Cambodia trip. This will
defnitely defray a lot of costs
and will allow more participants,
said Mrs Goh, whose son was in
Year 6 when she led the trip. It
was the frst time we organised
such an effort. I felt that parents,
1 4 9
GIVING BACK
The group taught
basic oral hygiene
practices and English
to about 150 school
children, gave
the school and its
playground equipment
a fresh coat of paint
and look as well as
distributed clothes
and food items to the
village families during
their seven-day trip.
RPA community service
trip to Cambodia
not just the boys, should
experience it. Besides helping
the villagers, it was a great
bonding experience for the
parents and their children. She
hopes that the RPA will continue
to initiate community projects.
one parent group is also
helping an orphanage in
Yangon. They are helping to
raise funds through a project
they are doing so hopefully
this fund can be used by the
RPA and the RPA Alumni group
to start off their work in the
orphanage, Mrs Lim added.
To review and consolidate the
plethora of efforts as well as
making sure such efforts are
sustainable, a Community Service
Council will be set up, comprising
representatives from the various
Institutes (Raffes Leadership
Institute, E W Barker Institute of
Sports, Raffes Science Institute,
Raffes Debate Academy and the
upcoming Raffes Arts Institute),
key Y16 programmes (such
as Research Education Service
Learning and Gap Semester)
and key CCAs (Interact Club,
Community Advocates).
150
GIVING BACK
SEED FUNDING FOR DIVERSE
PROJECTS
With the Raffes Community
Initiative, the school hopes
to impart clearer direction,
greater coherence and stronger
backing to its many service
platforms and projects.
The Initiative aims to continue
to garner interested donors,
alumni and parents to provide
seed funding and support, in the
form of expertise and skills, for
projects that will beneft different
sectors of the community.
While additional sources
of funding are available for
students to tap on for these
community projects such as
the partnership set up recently
The Initiative aims
to continue to
garner interested
donors, alumni and
parents to provide
seed funding and
support, in the form
of expertise and
skills, for projects
that will beneft
different sectors of
the community.
RPA community service
trip to Cambodia
between the Ministry of Culture,
Community and Youth (MCCY)
and the Ministry of Education
(MoE) to promote youth
volunteerism beyond the school
years, the Raffes Community
Initiative is distinct in its mission.
People are free to apply but
we want to set up something
within the Raffes community
rather than rely fully on other
agencies. other agencies also
have to serve other schools
and institutions and the fund
that they have set up is for
all across the board: ITE,
polytechnic, tertiary, etc. The
Raffesian community should
have enough resources to
provide for its own, Mrs Lim
said confdently.
1 5 1
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INDIVIDUAL DONOR
Singapore tax residents / corporations will enjoy a tax reduction based on the prevailing rate set by the
Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS).
2013G
I would like to make:
A monthly gift of
$ for months
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I would like to designate my gift to (please select one):
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both locally and regionally
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Others (Please specify):
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Should you wish to contact us, kindly call 6419 9242 or email 1823fund@ri.edu.sg
For more information, please go to http://www.ri.edu.sg/main/1823Fund
(Given Name) (Family Name)
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1823 FUND GIFT FORM
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Singapore 575954
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1823 FUND GIFT FORM
152
Second Fold
Rafes Institution
One Rafes Institution Lane
Singapore 575954
SINGAPORE
Postage will
be paid by addressee.
For posting in
Singapore only.
P l e a s e g l u e a n d s e a l a l o n g t h i s e d g e
First Fold
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One Raes Institution Lane, Singapore 575954
Year 1-4: T: 6353 8830, F: 6353 8357
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www.ri.edu.sg

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