infinITE Issue 112 - Institute of Technical Education

infinITE is a publication of the
Institute of Technical Education
ISSUE112
APR - JUN
2012
Graduation Celebration!
Class of 2012 Dons Graduation Gowns for the
First Time in ITE’s History by Victor Yen and Karen Sum
All Smiles: Being able to don graduation gowns for
the first time made the joyous event all that more
memorable for the Class of 2012.
O
N the concluding notes of ‘I Believe’, the finale song item
presented by the Show Choir from ITE’s Centre of Music &
the Arts, a rain of red and silver balloons descended upon the
620 graduands at the ITE Graduation Ceremony 2012. A chorus
of bursting balloons added to the euphoric atmosphere in the
auditorium as the sea of black, gold and maroon gowns moved
in harmony with the squeals of delight and laughter. Everyone
was on their feet – graduates and their family members – as the
curtains closed on their ITE education journey.
ISSN 0218 0293
A Celebration of Firsts
The feeling of pride on the faces of those in attendance at
the University Cultural Centre (UCC) at National University of
Singapore (NUS) was unmistakable. Not only was this year’s
Graduation Ceremony a celebration of the graduating class’
achievements, it was also a celebration of firsts. This year, ITE
graduates were clad in graduation gowns for the first time.
The addition of this seemingly small element lent a sense of
grandeur to the Ceremony, and magnified the importance of
this education milestone. “Wearing a gown makes me feel even
more satisfied with my graduation,” shared Mr Lam Mui Ben,
a graduand and winner of the Singapore Labour Foundation
Gold Medal. It was a sentiment echoed by his fellow graduands,
judging by the big smiles on their faces.
Marking another first this year was the presence of our Minister
for Education, Mr Heng Swee Keat. It was the first time Mr Heng
had graced the ITE Graduation Ceremony as Guest-of-Honour
since his appointment as Minister for Education in 2011. He
participated in an Academic Procession alongside Mr Bob
Tan, Chairman of ITE; Mr Bruce Poh, Director & CEO of ITE;
ITE’s Board of Governors; Directors of Schools; and Academic
Advisory Council representatives. The Academic Procession was
also a new addition to the Ceremonial proceedings.
Beginnings & Endings
During the Ceremony, Mr Heng painted a bright future for the
graduating class, citing the high employment rate of about 90
per cent for ITE graduates, within six months of graduation.
He also highlighted the achievements of a few outstanding
graduates and urged those at the Ceremony to “believe in
yourselves, stand up for what you believe in, and have the
conviction to follow your beliefs”.
Mr Heng later gave out medals to the top four graduates of the
Class of 2012. The top graduates are Brandon Chia Zheng Da,
Lee Kuan Yew Gold Medal Award recipient and Valedictorian;
Kenneth Cheng Zemin, Tay Eng Soon Gold Medal Award
recipient; Muhammad Asraf B Mohd Amin, Sng Yew Chong Gold
Medal Award recipient; and Lam Mui Ben, Singapore labour
Foundation Gold Medal Award recipient.
The Class of 2012 will be the last batch to have
their Graduation Ceremony at the UCC in NUS. In
2013, this annual and momentous event will be
held at the new ITE Headquarters and ITE College
Central, at Ang Mo Kio, which will be operational
come January next year.
2 BUZZ
Our Distinguished Visitors
at a Glance
Buzz
2
Our Distinguished
Visitors
3
20 Years of
Collaboration and
Still Going Strong
4
Soaring High
6
Inspiración
Pulse
7
Lights, Camera,
Action!
7
Live It Up Without
Lighting Up
8
ITE’s Own Nursing
Aid
ITE hosted the following distinguished visitors in April and May 2012:
by Lim Hui Ling, Mah Yen Ling & Jenn Tan
Apr
2
Planting Education: His Excellency Pehin Abu
Bakar Apong, Minister for Education, Negara
Brunei Darussalam (centre), observes pilot plants
which are modelled closely to industry-standard
chemical plants, at ITE College East’s Plant
Process Workshop.
May
15
Igniting A Passion For
Science
10 Drama Kings &
Queens
May
16
11 Model Students
12 ITE Art Show 2012
May
21
22
Facebook
“Institute of Technical Education,
Singapore”
Battelle For Kids Global
Education Research
Team
Have a Cuppa: Over gourmet coffee and
warm carrot cake, the Battelle For Kids Global
Education Research Team (first four on left) gets
to see how students are trained in the art of
making good coffee, pastries and other relevant
skills at Crema, a coffee barista training centre,
at ITE College West.
Snapshot
Find us on
The National Center
on Education and the
Economy
Sampling Authentic Learning: Mr Marc Tucker
(in yellow tie), President and CEO; Ms Vivien
Stewart (fourth from left), Senior Adviser for
Education and Asia Society and Member of Board
of Trustees; and Ms Betsy Brown Ruzzi (extreme
right), Vice President and Director of the Center on
International Education Benchmarking, from
the National Center on Education and the
Economy take a look at how ITE College West’s
Crema, a coffee barista training centre, is able to
impart skills and knowledge through an authentic
learning environment.
Stars
9
His Excellency Pehin Abu
Bakar Apong, Minister for
Education, Negara Brunei
Darussalam
SENA Colombia
Nation Building Highlights: Mr Javier Arango
Pardo (centre), Vocational Training Director,
SENA Colombia, and his colleagues got a firsthand view on how to disseminate National
Education values to students through formal
as well as informal ways at ITE College West’s
National Education (NE) Hub.
BUZZ
20 Years of Collaboration and Still Going Strong
by Lim Hui Ling
M
ORE than two decades ago during a study visit to
Germany, President Tony Tan Keng Yam, then Minister
for Education, planted the seed that would become ITE’s most
significant collaboration with an overseas partner.
That milestone visit in 1990 led by Dr Tan to upgrade
Singapore’s Vocational and Technical Education (VTE) system
culminated in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU) between ITE and the Ministry of Education, Youth and
Sports, Baden-Württemberg (MEYS), in 1991. Since then, the
partnership has grown from strength to strength. As a reflection
of the strong partnership between the two organisations, ITE
and MEYS signed their fifth consecutive MOU on 5 April 2012,
inked by Mr Lawrence Wong, Minister of State for Defence
and Education, Singapore; and MEYS Minister, Mrs Gabriele
Warminski-Leitheußer.
One of the major achievements over the past twenty years of
collaboration is the setting up of joint niche Technical Engineer
Diploma (TED) programmes in Machine Technology and
Automotive Engineering – the first two Diploma programmes
offered by ITE, and the first of such programmes offered by KM
outside Germany.
Win-win Partnership
Thanks to the framework provided by the MOU, students
and staff from both institutions have also benefited from
joint projects, exchanges, industrial attachments, pedagogic
training programmes, as well as the sharing of knowledge
and benchmarking for organisational excellence. Since 1991,
ITE has sent more than 75 students and 75 staff to BadenWürttemberg for exchanges, and hosted 35 students and more
than 70 staff from MEYS, its Colleges and the State Academy for
In-Service Training and Human Resources Development.
Daimler-Schule 1 (GDS 1) and ITE have also worked on joint
projects showcased at the annual TED Project Fair. Three TED
Project Fairs have been held in Singapore with strong support
from industry since ITE launched its first TED programme in
2008.
Exploring New Grounds
With the renewal of the MOU, plans have been put in place for
MEYS and ITE to work even more closely with each other. One
initiative in the pipeline is specialised pedagogic training for
ITE’s Principal and Master Mentors. In addition, more staff and
students will benefit from exchanges, which will extend from
traditional Engineering areas to new areas, including Applied
Sciences, Fashion & Design and Environmental Technology.
Under the auspices of the latest MOU, four MEYS Colleges (GDS 1
and 2, Carl-Benz-Schule, Gaggenau, and Kerschensteinerschule,
Stuttgart) and the three ITE Colleges (ITE College Central,
ITE College East and ITE College West) also reaffirmed their
partnership via a Supplemental Institutional Agreement inked
on the same day.
Seven’s a Charm: (From right) Dr Ang Kiam Wee, Mr Eden Liew, Dr Yek Tiew
Ming, Principals of ITE College Central, ITE College East and ITE College
West respectively, reaffirmed their partnership with Mr Holger Esch,
Principal, Gottlieb-Daimler-Schule 1; Mr Robert Kienle, Principal, GottliebDaimler-Schule 2; Mrs Rosemarie Mattes, Principal, Kerschensteinerschule
Stuttgart; and Dr Falk Hartmann, Head of Department, VET, Mechanical
Engineering and Automotive Technology, Carl-Benz-Schule Gaggenau; via
a Supplemental Institutional Agreement on 5 April 2012.
Staff and students have worked on joint projects in the areas
of Process Automation and even modelled and constructed an
airplane glider together. Final-year TED students from Gottlieb-
Extending Twenty Years of Cooperation: Mr Lawrence Wong, Minister of State for Defence and Education, Singapore (second
from right) and Mrs Gabriele Warminski-Leitheußer, Minister of Education, Youth and Sports, Baden-Württemberg, Federal
Republic of Germany (second from left), renewed the fifth MOU between ITE and the German Ministry on 5 April 2012. The
witnesses were Mr Hartmut Mattes, Minister Advisor, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, Baden-Württemberg, Federal
Republic of Germany (left), and Mr Bruce Poh, Director and Chief Executive Officer, ITE (right).
3
4 BUZZ
Soaring High
ITE’s top graduates and alumni
for 2012
by Chan Jamie, Serene Tan and Karen Sum
MAY was a month of pride as the Class
of 2012 celebrated their graduation. For
four graduates, it was also their time to be
recognised for their outstanding achievements
– the prestigious Lee Kuan Yew Gold Medal,
Tay Eng Soon Gold Medal, Sng Yew Chong Gold
Medal and Singapore Labour Foundation Gold
Medal. These awards represent the best of ITE
– students who not only excel academically,
but also in character, with contributions to
ITE and beyond. Aside from our top four
graduates, our alumni also did us proud when
two of them were awarded the Tay Eng
Soon Gold Medal at Temasek Polytechnic.
InfinITE profiles these inspiring graduates
and alumni:
Brandon Chia Zheng Da
Lee Kuan Yew Gold Medal Winner
Whether it’s cleaning dead bodies as part of his course or stuffing dead animals at his part-time job
as assistant student researcher, Brandon Chia remains unfazed. After all, he doesn’t think “we can
be squeamish about such things” when preparing for a professional career in Nursing. As a young
man of varied first loves in aesthetics, care for others, and environmental awareness, Brandon felt
that ITE has merged them meaningfully in his life. He said, “ITE has given me so many adventures
and first-time experiences that I am grateful for. I have also grown more mature and responsible.
Given the nature of this field where competency can make a difference between the life and death
of a patient, [this helps].” Brandon, who scored a perfect Grade Point Average (GPA) of 4.0 and won
the HSBC-National Youth Achievement Award Youth Environmental Award 2011, is now pursuing
his Diploma in Nursing at Ngee Ann Polytechnic.
Kenneth Cheng Zemin
Tay Eng Soon Gold Medal Winner
Muhammad Asraf B Mohd Amin
Sng Yew Chong Gold Medal Winner
At 14, Kenneth was a rebellious teenager who ran away
from home. Thanks to his secondary school teacher,
Kenneth soon realised he had to change in order to be the
exemplary leader he envisioned to be. Today, 19-year-old
Kenneth has graduated with a perfect GPA of 4.0 and four
Distinctions in his Nitec in Aerospace Avionics course to top
his cohort in ITE College Central. He was also awarded a
Book Prize by Eurocopter South East Asia Pte Ltd and the
Lee Kuan Yew Model Student Award. Besides excelling in
his studies, Kenneth was elected Chairperson of ITE College
Central Student Council. Kenneth’s passion is to lead young
lives and groom them. He nurtures youths under his charge
in the Boys’ Brigade and tutors Normal (Technical) Stream
juniors at his alma mater, Hong Kah Secondary School.
At 19, Muhammad Asraf appreciates that he isn’t lacking in
life. He is also motivated to reach out and help others. But this
wasn’t always the case. Just two years ago, Asraf was more
interested in having fun and letting his studies take a backseat.
It took a dismal exam results slip and motivational speaker,
Nick Vujicic, who has no limbs, to jolt Asraf into re-thinking
his cavalier attitude. Today, Asraf has topped his cohort in
ITE College West with a GPA of 4.0 and is the recipient of
several awards, including the Mendaki Award 2011, Academic
Excellence Award 2011, and the Rotary ITE Excellence Award.
The affirmation of his good work and encouragement from his
lecturers while in ITE boosted Asraf’s confidence greatly. Asraf
is so grateful that he sees himself coming back to contribute
in the future.
BUZZ 5
Model Students: Muhammad Asraf B Mohd Amin (Sng Yew
Chong Gold Medal); Kenneth Cheng Zemin (Tay Eng Soon Gold
Medal); Brandon Chia Zheng Da (Lee Kuan Yew Gold Medal);
and Lam Mui Ben (Singapore Labour Foundation Gold Medal)
celebrating their achievements at ITE Graduation Ceremony
2012.
Excellent Progress: Lim Wei Zhong and Christina Lim
Wei Ting receive the Tay Eng Soon Gold Medal from Mr
Boo Kheng Hua, Principal & CEO, Temasek Polytechnic.
Lim Wei Zhong
Tay Eng Soon Gold Medal Winner
(Temasek Polytechnic)
Lam Mui Ben
Singapore Labour Foundation Gold Medal Award
When his company, Four Square Interior Contractor
turned ten, Lam Mui Ben thought it was an opportune
time to register it with the Building and Construction
Authority of Singapore (BCA). After all, he did have ten
years of interior renovation experience to back him
up. To his dismay, he was told that he needed a BCArecognised Diploma. So armed with the former National
Technical Certificate (NTC) Grade 3 in Building Drafting
which he obtained in 1995, Mui Ben embarked on his
journey of life-long learning. His determination saw
him ace his Higher Nitec in Mechanical and Electrical
Engineering Design course with an almost perfect GPA
of 3.9, to receive a Certificate of Merit and the SLF
Gold Medal, which is given to ITE Continuing Education
& Training graduates for their upgrading efforts and
achievements. Mui Ben is currently pursuing a Specialist
Diploma in Interior and Landscape Design at the BCA
Academy, and is one step closer to his goal.
26-year-old Lim Wei Zhong suffers from an enhanced
physiological tremor which results in slurred speech,
shaking in the hands, difficulty in writing and slow
reaction times. His parents divorced when he was 10,
and he was raised single-handedly by his mother, who
is a helper at a noodle stall. But all these did not stop
Wei Zhong from graduating with a cumulative Grade
Point Average of 3.9 from his Information Technology
diploma course and emerging with the Tay Eng Soon
Gold Medal. Wei Zhong graduated in 2006 from ITE
College Central with the Higher Nitec in Information
Technology with a Certificate with Merit. It was at ITE
that he realised that he too, could succeed. He is grateful
to his lecturers in ITE who helped him and given him
opportunities to succeed.
Christina Lee Wei Ting
Tay Eng Soon Gold Medal Winner
(Temasek Polytechnic)
There were high hopes placed on Christina Lee for her O
levels. However, just before the examinations, Christina
became disillusioned and gave up. Posted to ITE College West
thereafter, her mother had to accompany her to class on
the first day to ensure that she did not run off. Nonetheless,
Christina made good of her time in ITE, aced her Higher
Nitec in Electronic Engineering course, and secured a place
in Temasek Polytechnic Engineering Course. There, Christina
did well enough to secure a place on the Director’s List, and
the Tay Eng Soon Gold Medal Award for her outstanding
results upon graduation. Christina has been accepted into the
Computer Engineering degree programme in National University
of Singapore, and hopes to return to ITE as a lecturer after she
graduates.
6 BUZZ
An Enjoyable and Inspiring Visit: President Santos (fifth from right),
flanked by Minister for Transport and Second Minister for Foreign
Affairs, Mr Lui Tuck Yew (left) and Director & CEO of ITE, Mr Bruce
Poh (right), together with his entourage and Ms Sabrina Loi, Deputy
CEO (Corporate), ITE (second from right).
Inspiración
Colombian President describes ITE’s Education
by Serene Tan
Model as visionary
H
A President’s Welcome: Mr Bruce Poh, Director & CEO, ITE (center
right) welcomes His Excellency Juan Manuel Santos, President of the
Republic of Columbia (center left), to ITE College East. Mr Lui Tuck Yew
(right), Minister for Transport and Second Minister for Foreign Affairs,
was also present for the tour.
ISTORY was made on 7 May 2012 when the President of the
Republic of Colombia stopped by ITE College East for a visit.
The arrival of His Excellency, President Juan Manuel Santos, in
Singapore, and in ITE, was a first for the Latin-America country.
His official three-day visit from 6 to 8 May aimed to strengthen
bilateral relations between Singapore and Colombia, and to
learn from Singapore’s development experience, particularly in
the area of education.
During his visit to ITE College East, Mr Santos and his entourage,
which comprised several Ministers, got an inside look at ITE’s
roles and functions in a sharing session headed by Mr Bruce Poh,
Director & CEO of ITE. Our Columbian visitors then toured the
ITE Centre for Healthcare Simulation Training, led by Principal of
ITE College East, Mr Eden Liew.
The visitors from Columbia were most impressed by ITE’s
education model, particularly the way students are trained in an
authentic work environment to equip them with the required
skill sets for employment. President Santos was also inspired by
the high employment rate ITE students enjoy after graduation.
He indicated that the National Training Agency (Sena) could look
into a cooperation agreement with ITE, to see how Columbia
can learn from ITE’s education model to better their technical
training, and generate more employment in Columbia.
Hands-on Training: President Santos being introduced to a highfidelity patient simulator in the ITE Centre for Healthcare Simulation
Training.
President Santos described his experience at ITE as enjoyable
and gave ITE a thumbs-up, “Congratulations, you have a very
impressive system that is an example for the whole world. This
is really visionary.”
PULSE 7
Lights, Camera, Action!
ITE students’ winning project to be screened at WE Cinemas
by Karen Sum
The next time you step into WE Cinemas,
keep your eyes peeled for a 30-second
public video message created by ITE
students. Based on the theme 'Movies
are Best in HD Digital', the video will be
one of several entries in a competition
jointly organised by ITE and WE Cinemas.
The month-long competition, which
started on 25 April 2012, is open to all ITE
students and is organised under a Letter
of Collaboration (LOC) ITE had signed
with WE Cinemas that same morning at
ITE College East. Stretching over a period
of eight and a half months until January
2013, this LOC is the first that ITE will be
On-Screen Partners: Mr Eden Liew, Principal, ITE
College East, inked the Letter of Collaboration signing with a local cinema company.
(LOC) with WE Cinemas’ Sales & Marketing
Director, Ms Vivien Ong. The LOC will give
talented students a platform to showcase their
ideas, hone their skills, and learn from industry
players.
This collaboration will not only put
the spotlight on the creative works of
ITE students; it will help WE Cinemas
spot and groom talents to be cinema
or media specialists. Students will also
be given a chance to network with
media professionals as a result of this
collaboration.
In addition, the winning team of the
competition will enjoy a one-month
internship at WE Cinemas where they will
learn how to distribute and market films,
as well as other aspects of the industry.
The winning entry will be screened at
WE Cinemas for three months after the
results are announced in July. Infinite
Frameworks Pte Ltd will also award
$5,000 worth of colour grading services
for the winning team’s next short film,
redeemable within three years of the win.
“With this collaboration, our staff and
students will be able to better understand
the demands and challenges faced by
the film media industry. The exposure
would also help raise the competency and
proficiency levels of ITE students,” said
Mr Eden Liew, Principal, ITE College East.
I
f the air is smelling just a little fresher these days, you can thank the Health Promotion Board
(HPB) for launching its Health Engagement Programme in conjunction with World No
Tobacco Day 2012 at the ITE Colleges on 31 May. This Health Engagement Programme
aims to tap on students’ strengths and networks to build a health-conscious and
smoke-free lifestyle. The event was launched by Health Minister, Mr Gan Kim Yong.
Held at ITE College West, the launch's highlight was the signing of the ITE-HPB
Health Alliance, witnessed by Mr Bruce Poh, Director & CEO, ITE and Mr Ang
Hak Seng, CEO, HPB; and the pledge by the President, Youth Advolution
for Health, and the Student Council Presidents of the three ITE Colleges.
Thereafter, spectators were treated to lively performances incorporating
the 'Live It Up Without Lighting Up' message.
To sum up the day’s activities, Mr Bruce Poh said, “We are happy to
work with HPB to create this peer advocacy movement to promote
healthy living among students. Hearing from their peers and watching
their friends change, we believe, is one of the most effective ways to
reach out to students. We hope that our joint efforts to educate and
to communicate the ill-effects of smoking will help students say 'No'
to smoking.”
The Anti-smoking Campaign
comes to the Colleges
A Pledge to Health: Health Minister Mr Gan Kim Yong (center); Mr
Bruce Poh, Director & CEO, ITE (second from left); and Mr Ang Hak
Seng, CEO, HPB (second from right); together with the President, Youth
Advolution for Health and the Student Council Presidents of the three
ITE Colleges, at the signing of the ITE-HPB Health Alliance.
by Serene Tan and Ivan Yew
8 PULSE
ITE’s Own Nursing Aid
Handbook a labour of love by ITE Nursing Lecturers
by Chan Jamie
F
ROM dressing a wound to bathing a baby, ITE’s Nursing students can now rely on a step-by-step guidebook
to practise these skills. The ITE Nursing Skills Handbook is the first local handbook for enrolled nurses.
Written by Nursing lecturers from the School of Applied and Health Sciences, ITE College East, the handbook
was officially launched on 31 May 2012 by Mr Bruce Poh, Director & CEO, ITE.
More than just providing Nursing students with a systematic approach to patient care, the Handbook is the
result of a vision by the late Ms Gwee Mui Boon, ITE’s first Nursing Course Manager. Her yearning for ITE’s
Nursing lecturers to leave a legacy led to the development of the Handbook to elevate the students’ skills
competency and to prepare them for a challenging career in healthcare.
Page Turner: Mr Bruce Poh (centre), Director
& CEO, ITE, launches the Nursing Skills
Handbook, while Ms Gui Siew Boon (from left),
elder sister of the late Ms Gwee Mui Boon;
Mr Tay Wei Sern, Deputy Director, Health
Sciences, School of Applied & Health Sciences,
ITE College East; Ms Pauline Tan, Singapore’s
Chief Nursing Officer; Mr Eden Liew, Principal,
ITE College East; and Mr Tan Seng Hua, Deputy
CEO (Academic), ITE, look on.
Raising the Standards of Nursing
“This work attests to the high standards and commitment of
ITE’s Nursing Department to ensure that our students receive the
best possible education to prepare them for work as Registered
Enrolled Nurses,” Dr Lionel Lau, Director, School of Applied &
Health Sciences , ITE College East, proudly shared, describing the
book as a labour of love by the Nursing team.
Mr T K Udairam, Group CEO, Eastern Health Alliance, Member
of the ITE Board of Governors and Chairman of ITE Healthcare
Academic Advisory Committee, also expressed his confidence in
the book. He said, “A lot of the instructions and scenarios in the
book are set in the local context. I believe this book will raise
standards across nursing,”
The handbook will not only be used by ITE’s Nursing students.
International partners and guests from Brunei, Canada,
Switzerland and Vietnam have also purchased the book after
studying the material and finding it useful for their purposes. Mrs
Mae Tang, Course Manager, Nursing, ITE College East, said, “We
hope this book will find its way into the global arena and further
contribute to ITE’s global position and good standing.”
STARS 9
Igniting A Passion For Science
Record number of participants at IgNITE Science Challenge 2012
by Karen Sum
B
EET Red, Saffron Orange and Spinach Green. Nope, these are not the latest colours available
in your paint shop. They are just some of the natural dyes which students at the IgNITE
Science Challenge 2012 have extracted to colour their artwork in the INKpressive Category.
Through such knowledge-based science activities, IgNITE aims to make science interesting and
fun for Normal Stream students.
Rising Popularity
In the four years since its inception in 2008, the competition has
seen a steady rise in participation. This year’s instalment saw a
record number of teams and schools participating. A total of 31
schools and 67 teams vied for the top prizes in the finals on 22
May 2012 at the Science Centre Singapore. Some 500 guests,
including finalists, school principals, and team supporters
attended the finals, along with Guest-of-Honour, Minister of
State for Education and Defence, Mr Lawrence Wong.
Impressive Inks: Mr Lawrence Wong getting a quick introduction on dye
extraction from the students of Bartley Secondary School.
“We’re very happy with the turnout this year. When we came
up with the competition, we wanted it to be an opportunity
for Normal Stream students to discover how science plays a
big part in our daily lives, and how science can be fun. We’re
encouraged by the support and positive feedback we’ve been
getting,” said Dr Lionel Lau, Director, Applied and Health
Sciences (AHS), who has been leading the organising team
since IgNITE’s inception.
A New Formula
The annual event features different themes each year so students are exposed to different
disciplines of science. This year, teams competed in four categories – Bubbles & Squeak,
Chemistack™, iDigix and INKpressive – each, organised by various Schools in ITE College East.
Another positive outcome of the Science Challenge was ITE’s creation of Chemistack™, a game
which challenges students on their knowledge on the Periodic Table. ITE has applied for a patent
for Chemistack™ and is looking to commercialise it. As testament to the game’s popularity, a
number of interested schools have already asked for copies. With such enthusiastic response to
the IgNITE Science Challenge, we can be sure that the organising team would be motivated to
come up with even more interesting categories next year!
Congratulations to all winners of the
IgNITE Science Challenge 2012!
Category
School (Clockwise from top)
iDigix
Bukit Panjang Government High
Bubbles & Squeak
Ngee Ann Secondary School
Chemistack™
Christ Church Secondary School
INKpressive
Bartley Secondary School
Grand Champion
Bukit Panjang Government High
10 STARS
Bollywood Here We Come!: Our talented
student cast and crew, with Principal
Mr Eden Liew and Lecturer Mr Kassin
Suckoordeen, from ITE College East
emerged Champions in ARANGAM 2012.
Who knows, we might see them on TV or
on the big screens in the near future!
Drama Kings & Queens
ITE College East’s Indian Drama and Culture Group are
champs!
by Josephine Lefort
W
ITHIN a year of its formation, ITE
College East’s Indian Drama and
Culture Group has emerged as proud
champions in ARANGAM 2012, an
inter-tertiary Tamil drama competition
organised by the Ravindran Drama
Group, a veteran Tamil stage drama
troupe.
The ITE team breezed through the
preliminary rounds and won the top
award at the finals beating hot favourites
Millenia Institute, Anderson Junior
College and Anglo-Chinese Junior College.
They also clinched the Best Direction
and Best Production awards in the
competition and garnered encouraging
feedback from the organisers.
The feat was sweet reward for
Mechanical Engineering Lecturer, Mr
Kassim Suckoordeen, whose brainchild
had paved the way for the formation of
the Group at ITE College East.
“When I observed the students, it
was evident that they loved to dance,
they loved to sing but they just did
not have such an avenue to express
these talents. Forming the club was
the first step to pool all these talents
to create a common platform,” shared
Mr Suckoordeen. “The club encourages
members to explore their passion,
develop their craft through proper
training and guidance, and synergise
group efforts to attain excellence
through participation in competitions
and events.” He remarked that he
witnessed a gradual improvement in the
students’ approach to the performing
arts and self confidence as they grew in
the club, hence the decision to take part
in ARANGAM 2012.
A few alumni also came onboard to be
part of the enriching experience. “The
students handled all aspects of the
drama – from planning the storyboard
to managing the sound and lighting –
they did it all by themselves, so it’s a
victory well cherished,” beamed Mr
Suckoordeen.
STARS 11
Model Students
ITE’s good-lookers vied to be ITE-Carrie’s Next Top Model
G
by Serene Tan
ORGEOUS models, media and fashion heavyweights – ITE College East got a taste
of the glitz and glamour of the fashion world when the finals of the ITE-Carrie’s
Next Top Model 2012 was held on 10 May 2012.
Vying for top spots in the competition, the 20 finalists strutted down the catwalk, to
cheers from their zealous supporters and fans. The finalists showcased their poses
in smart casual, sportswear and formal outfits sponsored by Springfield. Amongst
the prizes were rare opportunities to be selected for The New Paper New Face 2012
competition for outstanding female finalists, and a spot in CLEO’s 50 Most Eligible
Bachelors for the male champion.
Catwalk Stars
Though the competition was fierce, a few of the finalists stood out. At a stately 1.71m,
Siti Nadiah from ITE College East easily won the judges over with her warm personality
and gorgeous smile, to emerge as the female champion. The 20-year-old beauty goes
straight into the top 25 of The New Paper New Face 2012. Charming the judges with
his boyish good looks and quiet confidence was 18-year-old Nicolas Joel Leong from
ITE College East who was crowned the male champion. He will be featured as one of
CLEO’s 50 Most Eligible Bachelors in 2013.
Adding to the glamour of the event were guest appearances by the ITE-Carrie’s Next
Top Model 2011’s gorgeous winners Aqilah and Eddie, who gave this year’s finalists an
insight into the opportunities awaiting them after the competition. Kamsani, an ITE
alumnus who will soon be making an appearance on America’s Got Talent, lit up the
stage with his rendition of “I Need to Know” by Marc Anthony.
Cover Looks
The ITE-Carrie’s Next Top Model event was started in collaboration with Carrie Models
International last year. When asked for her take on the finalists this year, Ms Linda Teo,
Managing Director of Carrie Models International said, “The standard of the finalists
is better this year and we have identified a few potential talents whom we can groom.
We are planning to feature Nicolas and Nadiah, as well as the male second runner-up
Marc Sim, in a cover shoot for a corporate magazine with one of our clients.”
Delighted Judges: The people to impress at the ITE-Carrie’s Next Top
Model 2012 were (from left) Mr Yeoh Wee Teck, Columnist, The New
Paper; Ms Linda Teo, Managing Director, Carrie Models International; Mr
Daniel Ng, Director, Kim Robinson; and Ms Cheong Kamei, Editor, CLEO
Magazine.
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12 SNAPSHOT
ITE Launches Inaugural Art Show with
320 Pieces of Art in Different Forms
by Victor Yen
I
T’S not your typical art exhibition in a quiet, air-conditioned
gallery with warm spotlights. ITE’s inaugural art show
was launched in what is, perhaps, the busiest intersection
in ITE College East – the Business Block atrium. Boasting
an impressive volume of 320 art pieces produced by staff,
students and alumni, the massive exhibition spanned six
zones featuring genres in fine art, photography, digital and
print art, environmental art, and public space art or graffiti
expressions. There was even a zone called Creative Space
for students or members of the public to try their hands on
various art forms like sand animation, tote bag designing,
and clay modelling.
Held on 24 May 2012, the event was graced by Guest-ofHonour Mr Ong Yew Huat, Chairman, National Heritage
Board. Mr Ong presented top prizes for students’ works
and honoured sponsors of the event, most notably Canon
Singapore Pte Ltd for donating professional cameras
for prizes, and Comfort Delgro, for donating three
decommissioned taxis as canvases for a car-painting
competition.
BEHIND THE SCENES
Advisors
Ms Sabrina Loi
Deputy CEO (Corporate)
Ms Tham Mei Leng
Divisional Director/
Corporate Affairs &
Development
Mr Mathusuthan P
Deputy Director/
Communications & Marketing
Mr Jailani Nathan
Manager/Corporate &
Media Relations
Editor
Design & Layout
Printer
Ms Karen Sum
Head/Publications
Ms Asiah Ahmad
Graphic Designer
Oxford
Graphics
Printers
Pte Ltd