June 2013 - Temasek Polytechnic

campus newspaper
June 2013
CMM students go
to Spain
Candy Crush
Saga
Venturing beyond
studies
Documentary on
shark-fishing industry
Popular on Facebook
and mobile
Students pursue
personal interests
3
9
11
Good grades don’t mean good career
Minister tells graduands to keep on learning to stay relevant
A good qualification alone does not
guarantee them a
good career, or
even a job.
Mr
Heng,
who was the guest
of
honour at
Temasek Polytechnic’s 23rd graduation
ceremony,
told the graduands
Jeremy Jee, with his parents, receives his diploma and Lee Kuan Yew that they must have
skills needed by
Award from Education Minister Heng Swee Keat.
the industry, and be prepared to keep on
By: Tan Shi Wei
learning to stay relevant.
Speaking at the opening session of
ducation Minister Heng Swee
Keat had a sobering message for the graduation ceremony, the minister
this year’s polytechnic graduands: said unlike in the past, jobs may disappear
E
faster than expected, made redundant
through circumstances such as improving
technology.
This year saw a total of 5007 students graduate from 54 full-time diploma
courses and six part-time specialist diploma and diploma courses.
The graduation ceremony spanned
over 14 sessions from May 17 to May 23.
It was kicked off at the Temasek
Convention Centre with graduands from
the Diploma in Culinary and Catering
Management, Hospitality and Tourism
Management and the Poly-level Award
recipient.
Earlier, in his welcoming address,
Mr Boo Kheng Hua, Principal and CEO
of Temasek Polytechnic, congratulated
students and reminded them that “grad-
uation is also commencement, which
means your best time is not behind you
but before you”.
While it can be expected that the
graduands would have taken to heart the
advice given, for now they were keen to
celebrate their achievement after three
years of hard work.
21-year-old Fred Erick Mendoza
Furigay IV, from the Diploma in Computer Engineering said: “I am elated to
graduate successfully and kind of glad
that it’s over.
“I think I am definitely going to
miss TP as I share the best memories of
my teens here.”
A fusion dance performance by
various TP dance groups closed the ceremony on a lively note.
TP’s top grads for 2013
Lee Kuan Yew Award
Jeremy Jee, 21, the top student of Diploma in Info-Communications with a
perfect GPA of 4.0, was awarded the Lee
Kuan Yew Award for Mathematics and
Science.
The O-level 7-pointer, has also excelled in competitions and was President
of his diploma club – iHub.
Balakumaran s/o Nadarajan, also
received the Lee Kuan Yew Award. He
graduated with a GPA of 3.97 despite
being “notorious for skipping school and
getting into trouble for fights and petty
mischief in his primary and secondary
years.”
The Bio-medical Science graduate
said that he got “the biggest slap on my
face” when he chanced upon the volume
of The Teachings of Buddha in his home
when he was in Secondary 3.
The third Lee Kuan Yew Award recipient was Tan Wang Leng who graduated from the Diploma in Game & En-
tertainment Technology. The avid gamer
said: “I know my interest was in IT, so
there was no point in going to a JC”. He
had represented TP in various competitions and won several awards.
Lee Kong Chian Award
Chun Win Ee from the Diploma of Psychology Studies is one of three recipients
of the Lee Kong Chian Award. Win Ee,
is the first in the School of Humanities
and Social Sciences to achieve a perfect
GPA of 4.0.
He had made the bold move of
dropping out of JC to pursue his “true
calling”.
And Win Ee’s advice to those who
are afraid to make a similar transition is:
“I would say feel the fear but do it anyway... You only have one life. You got to
do what you want to do.”
The other two recipients of the
Lee Kong Chian Award were Jarron
Tham from the Diploma in Product and
Industrial Design and Lee Qui Yin from
the Diploma in Business.
Capitaland Awards for All-round
Excellence
The Capitaland Award for All-round
Excellence went to Sarah Yang. The Accounting and Finance student who scored
a GPA of 3.83 juggled her work and triathlon CCA.
“I think time management is key.
So basically, I have to plan my training
time schedule and it is like in between
breaks in school.”
Other Awards
The Lee Kong Chian Award for AllRound Excellence was won by Psychology student Kho Kian Hao and Electronic
student Thng Boon Seong.
The Tay Eng Soon Gold Medal was
awarded to ex-ITE student Teng Yong
Hao from the Diploma in Information
Technology.
- Tan Shi Wei/CCD
Photos: CCD
(Clockwise from top) Lee Kuan Yew Award
Winners : Jeremy Jee, Balakumaran s/o
Nadarajan, Tan Wang Leng / Lee Kong Chian
Award Winners: Chun Win Ee, Jarron Tham /
CapitaLand Award For All-Round Excellence
Winner: Sarah Yang
2
11 bands make it through
Music Vox auditions
By: Paul Lim
‘I think what distinguishes Music
Vox from all the other CCAs in Temasek
usic Vox auditions, which were Polytechnic is that the members work toheld on May 23, saw 13 groups gether – practice covers, create original
vying for a spot in the Co-Cur- compositions and perform together,’ says
ricular-Activity (CCA).
Ms Cynthia Eng.
The energy level was incredibly
Music Vox, which was originally
high at Auditorium 3, with many partici- called Vocal Club in the 1990s, has come
pants clapping and supporting each other. a long way.
Ms Cynthia Eng, Student DevelopKevin Tan, who was president of
ment officer in charge of Music Vox and Music Vox from 2005 to 2007, says that
most Performing Arts CCAs, said: “I was leading the CCA was an interesting jourquite impressed with the standard of mu- ney.
sicianship from this batch of auditionees,
And his advice to aspiring musiespecially the instrumentalists.”
cians: “Friendship before musicianship.
The auditionees performed a wide You have to like each other and get along
range of songs from different genres and well first in order for the band to sound
artists such as punk-rock Paramore and great.”
more soulful Jason Mraz.
Following the auditions, Music Vox
now has six rock
bands and five
acoustic bands. They
will be give nnumerous platformssuch as free weekly
jamming slots as
well as internal critique and evaluation sessions.
This year, for
the first time, Music
Vox will hold a twoday induction camp
Nerditude, one of the five acoustic bands, auditioning for Music Vox
starting June 19.
this year.
M
Stop Press :: June 2013
Polytechnic Foundation
Programme takes off
By: Jethro Lim
A
pioneer batch of 211 students
under the Polytechnic Foundation Programme (PFP) joined TP
this academic year.
This new Education Ministry initiative has also been rolled out in the other
polytechnics in Singapore.
Under this one-year programme,
these N-level (academic) stream students
are prepared for their full-time diploma
course without having to sit for the GCE
O Level Examinations in Secondary 5.
However, they are required to pass
all their subjects according to the assessment criteria.
This may include group projects or
end-of-year examinations, before they are
accepted into the first-year of their selected diplomas.
A 4-day orientation programme
was held for the PFP students to be introduced to their care persons.
It was also a chance for them to
bond with their new classmates through a
series of fun and engaging activities.
They were also introduced to their
student mentors, current diploma students, who shared their polytechnic education experiences.
Nicole Lorissa, who was previously
from St. Anthony’s Canossian Convent,
notes that the polytechnic learning style is
very different and more hectic.
“It is a little stressful and there are
many dates to remember. Big difference
from secondary school.”
She adds that qualifying for the
PFP helped save her one year of stress
and provided some sense of security.
“I’d rather push myself for one year
and do well for N’s and get into the FPP
rather than go through another year of
stress, and furthermore, compete with so
many other students for the course I want
after my O level results.”
Sabrina Lew, who is enrolled in the
foundation for the Diploma in Business
with Engineering agreed that the PFP
gave her a higher chance of gaining a spot
in the diploma.
She was happy that the “poly recognised (her) efforts during (her) N levels”.
Beyond just the academic benefits
that the foundation programme offers,
students also feel that they have toughened up.
“They have taught me a lot of different values and (made) me more independent than I (was) before, since my
orientation day till now”, said Nur Amyra
Bte Mawan, a foundation student for the
Diploma in Tourism and Hospitality Design.
She added: “We just hope that we
are able to feel more welcomed by our TP
family in the future.”
TP Young Writers Club aims to publish anthology
By: Son Ju Eun
O
ne criticism of today’s fastpaced, technologically advanced
world is that teenagers have neither the patience nor passion for timeconsuming, delayed-gratification pursuits such as writing.
Hence, TP Young Writers Club is
doing its part to counter this notion by
working on an anthology.
This is the first time the club, established two years ago, will be attempting such a project.
The anthology is titled The End.
This theme is open to each writer’s interpretation and allows them flexibility in
crafting their pieces.
On the inspiration behind the title,
Gautami Arumugam, a third-year student from the Diploma in Digital Forensics, said: “It was quite random. General
stories all start with a start and an end in
mind. So we decided to try (to) reverse
engineer the process (and) focus on
endings.” She was the president of the
Young Writers Club when the anthology
was first proposed.
“The results are interesting as the
themes and genres vary from one writer
to another. Compiling them is proving to
be a challenge indeed,” she said.
Contributions included a story
about grandparents dying and a rather
literal take on the theme in the form of
a poem.
“I viewed many videos, especially
those predicting Armageddon, for inspiration. Of course, since the title is ambiguous, I researched on human relations
as well,” Gautami said.
The club had to sustain the project
despite the lack of available writers.
Attendance and limits of session
activities were some problems the club
faced, as students’ school timetables and
other activities were difficult to synchronise with writing in free time, let alone
physically attending club sessions.
Sometimes, there are only three or
four members at a session but the club
usually goes through with it as long as
three members are available.
“We try to sustain interest in writing by providing unique, fun and interesting sessions. Not only that, we also
encourage our members to submit their
work for critique,” said Calvin Seah, an
active club member who is a third-year
student from the Diploma in Game and
Entertainment Technology.
Activities done during sessions
include a game called the One Sentence
Pass where a piece of paper is passed
amongst writers who must each add a
sentence that relates to the previous one
written on the paper. When everyone has
written on each paper at least once, the
results are shared.
Sessions also often have themes,
such as genres, authors or book recommendations.
Furthermore, the club has two
professional advisers. One is writer and
performer Aidli ‘Alin Mosbit, who has
won Singapore Malay Literary Awards
Commendation Prizes. He also founded TP Young Writers Club attracted some 50
Panggung ARTS, a local theatre collec- students during the recent CCA Fair
tive. The other is Sonny Lim, of theatre atre group Teatro, who have performed
company World-in-Theatre, who is also some of our works. We participated in
involved in TP’s Teatro.
Production Crew’s Dreams IV and we
Members are also kept in the know have organised a Halloween event showabout arts events and writing competi- casing our works to the public,”
tions via Facebook.
While nothing is set in stone yet,
“While it is difficult at times, I the club aims to publish The End by
believe the club is doing a good job at June.
promoting young writers and writing.”
With a new president, Siti HumaiCalvin said.
rah, the club hopes to continue making
Gautami added:“We have had long- progress, both independently and in colstanding collaborations with the TP the- laboration with other groups.
Stop Press :: June 2013
3
Ditch the 3D glasses, now you have EyeFly 3D
TP and A*STAR develop a first-of-its-kind 3D filter
By: Stephanie Gascon
E
yeFly3D, recently developed by
TP staff and A*STAR’s Institute
of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE), may look like a run-ofthe-mill screen protector at first glance.
But this groundbreaking filter, at
less than 0.1mm in thickness, is the first
glasses-free 3D accessory that works in
both portrait and landscape modes.
It does this using lenticular lens
technology. “The filter is essentially a
piece of plastic film with about half a million perfectly shaped lenses engineered
onto its surface using IMRE’s proprietary
nanoimprinting technology,” said Dr Jaslyn Law, the IMRE scientist.
She has worked with TP on the
nanoimprinting R&D since 2010 to enhance the film’s smoothness, clarity and
transparency compared to other films in
the market.
3DeeSlide and Scubo3D are two
such other films. Both are overlays that
are only attached when viewing 3D content, because they compromise display
quality in 2D.
EyeFly3D differs because it can be
affixed like an ordinary screen protector
since it does not affect screen brightness
or resolution.
Its lenticular lenses also allow a
wider viewing angle compared to 3D displays which use parallax barriers, like the
Nintendo 3DS.
Mr Frank Chan, from TP’s Interactive Digital Centre Asia (IDCA), who led
the overall National Research Foundation
(NRF)-funded project, said: “The team’s
expertise in both hardware and software
development in 3D technology has enabled high quality 3D to be readily available to consumers.”
Nanoveu Pte Ltd is licensing the
technology exclusively from Exploit
Technologies Pte Ltd (ETPL), A*STAR’s
technology transfer arm, and TP.
“This removable plastic also opens
up a multitude of opportunities for anyone wanting to create affordable premium 3D content and games for quick
adoption to existing portable devices easily,” said Nanoveu founder and CEO Mr
Alfred Chong.
Content is king
Second-year Hospitality & Tourism Management student Dawn Chua
said EyeFly3D sounded “quite cool…but
not something I would use every day”.
She said this was because she thought 3D
content is not prevalent enough.
While 3D content has yet to become fully mainstream, video-sharing giant YouTube does host a selection of free
Photo: Google.com
EyeFly 3D filter, applied to Dream Defenders animated show above, is the first that works in
both portrait and landscape modes
3D videos. They can be viewed in several
modes, including the one compatible with
EyeFly3D, and are accessible through the
EyeFly3D Vid app, one of two free applications released for iOS and Android.
The other app, EyeFly3D Img, allows users to convert pictures taken using
mobile devices into 3D.
EyeFly3D also works with videos
and photos taken using consumer stereoscopic 3D cameras, such as those from
Sony, Fujifilm and GoPro.
Game developers, take note: the
team will also be releasing a software
development kit for converting existing
games into 3D versions.
Nanoveu has also entered into a
memorandum of understanding (MOU)
with local computer-generated (CG) animation company Tiny Island Productions
to collaborate on creating more 3D content.
“This collaboration creates a way
for content owners to realise the potential
of 3D,” said Mr Chong.
Mr David Kwok, CEO of Tiny
Island Productions, said: “We’re very excited to see our new stereoscopic-3D CG
animated series ‘Dream Defenders’ via
the EyeFly filter.”
CMM students film shark industry documentary in Spain
By: Stephanie Gascon
D
iploma in Communications &
Media Management students
Amirah Isa, Divya Jeya Balan,
Jillian Wong and Leon Ho visited the
port city of Vigo in northern Spain from
April 15 to 19.
The team was hired by CYAN
Communications and Marine Products
Association (MPA) to produce a 30-minute documentary about the shark-fishing
industry, titled The Untold Truth.
The four students were selected
for the trip based on the outcome of
their previous project, a 5-minute documentary on sustainable fishing that they
shot locally.
Jillian and Leon posing with the sharks at the
port city of Vigo, northern Spain.
“The documentary aims to address
misconceptions about how Singapore
gets its shark’s fin, and to show that the
fishing industry is legitimate in its practices,” said Divya.
In Singapore, shark’s fin soup is
a controversial delicacy because of the
danger of unsustainable practices such
as finning (cutting fins off and throwing
the bodies back into the sea) and overfishing.
The team visited the main port,
auction house and shipping and packing
plant in Vigo, where they spoke with ship
captains.
They found out finning is impractical for fishermen. “The fins go to Asia,
but a lot of people in Spain, Croatia,
Greece and Brazil eat shark meat,” Divya
said. “They profit from the meat and the
liver for fish oil.”
Leon added: “Even the bones are
used for medicinal purposes.”
They also interviewed a Member
of the European Parliament, Antolín
Sánchez, who was involved in the parliamentary Committee on Fisheries.
They learnt from him that legislative bodies are working on rules against
not bringing the entire shark to port.
Leon noted: “The entire process
is filled with
certification
for hygiene and
safety,
from
the fishing to
export and import.”
As for
overfishing, the
sharks fished
are Blue and
Mako sharks,
which are not
endangered
species.
“ Y o u
don’t have to Divya and Leon were part of a 4-member crew that went to Spain. One
worry about it major challenge they had was the language barrier.
as long as the
population is healthy,” said Leon.
a difficult job. “They go out to sea for
He found out that shark fishing in 70 to 90 days at a time. They go back
Vigo is usually a business passed down to shore for 12 days to unload the fish,”
through the generations, so it “doesn’t she said.
make sense to wipe out all the sharks”.
One major challenge the team
He said fishermen “want to be sustain- faced during production was the lanable”.
guage barrier. They had to have every
“I always thought the fishing busi- interview translated from Spanish to
ness was very cold-hearted,” he said. “It’s English.
interesting to know that there are family
“We had to spend quite a lot of
businesses.”
time translating,” Divya said. “But we
Divya added that shark fishing is had a guide who was very helpful.”
school
Stop Press :: June 2013
4
A deep passion for children and education
You’ll never know how things turn out
unless you try. And when you do, give it
your best.
Volunteering since 7
W
hile most people her age
were busy preparing for
their exams, Karthiayini Santha was volunteering for the needy.
In 2010, the second-year student
from the Diploma in Pharmaceutical Science came together with a group
of friends to raise funds for the Straits
Times School Pocket Money Fund.
Putting her singing talent to good
use, they came up with a song and released
it in a CD. The song, titled ‘Faith’ was sold
for $5 each and they sold 1000 copies.
This project is just one of
many others she has udertaken. In
2009, she was a volunteer for the
Youth2Youth (Y2Y) Network under the South East CDC and received
the community leader Bronze award.
She was also the outstanding community service champion, for having
more than 100 hours for CIP. That very
same year, she received the SHINE award.
Volunteering since the age of 7,
Karthiayini credits her parents with instilling the value of helping others in her.
“I’m from a family that taught me to be a
humble person, and there are other people that are worse than you. They always
tell me to help others no matter what.”
Along with her parents, another key influence was her Secondary 2
teacher, Miss Nadia. She got Karthi-
ayini interested in joining South East
CDC, which she is now a member of.
Apart from helping and interacting with people at South East CDC,
she leant how to be more appreciative.
“You will realise that I don’t have problems, other people have worse problems
than I have. And you start telling yourself that whenever you face a problem, I’m not the only one facing this.
If they can still smile in their lives with
such big problems, why can’t I smile?”
One lesson she took away from
volunteering was realising how cheerful everyone was. “Community service has made me a more cheerful person. You will interact with a lot of
people and start to feel the love for
everyone, no matter race or religion.”
APPLIED SCIENCE
By: Serene Kwek
Other than her involvement in
the OMEP Student Chapter, Is has
also volunteered at the Singapore
Kindness Movement (SKM) where
she taught children the positive values that the movement promoted.
Besides that, Is still continues to
work part-time at Kumon Singapore.
Although all these obligations might
be too overwhelming for most students, Is
maintains excellent grades in her studies.
She said humbly: “It’s all actually
very beneficial for me; it’s a ground for
me to explore what kinds of children I
might meet.”
“I learn how to interact with all
of them, and it won’t come as a shock
to me when I work in the future. I also
learn how to plan for events and organise my time because sometimes they
may intersect with my school hours.”
Is is also multi-talented and
loves music and art. She plays the guitar, the ukulele and the drums. She
said she sometimes wonders how she
is able to balance her time between
her different interests and obligations.
Besides her passion to work
with children, Is also shared her
dream of becoming an illustrator and hopes she’ll be able to pursue both these interests in the future.
“You’ll never know how things
turn out unless you try. And when you
do, give it your best.”
HUMANITIES
& SOCIAL SCIENCES
I
s Kalsum Bte Zainol, a 19 year-old
second-year student in Early Childhood Studies stands about 1.52m,
but within that petite frame lies a deep
passion for children and their education.
Once a student at Innova Junior
College, Is decided to drop out of the
college after a year when she realised she
was struggling with the curriculum and
that her grades were suffering greatly.
While she was waiting to enrol in Temasek Polytechnic, Is took
up a job as a teacher’s assistant at
learning centre, Kumon Singapore.
Her job required her to interact with
classes of children, helping the teacher
with the workload and also making sure
the children were behaving themselves.
“My first choice (to enrol in) was
actually Aviation Management, but
then my mum was telling me that I was
great with kids, so I told her that I’ll try
Early Childhood Studies out,” said Is.
Now that she is in the course, Is
does not regret her decision as it has
opened more doors for her to grow her
passion. Is described her learning environment as “vibrant and colourful” because
of her friends and the course curriculum.
“They’re all so energetic everyday,
they’re so fun and cheerful and it’s such a
positive environment. That’s why I enjoy
going to school everyday!” Is exclaimed.
Despite her busy five-day school
week schedule, Is sacrifices her weekends to serve the community, and does
so willingly and joyfully. She volunteers
at the World Organisation for Early
Childhood Education (OMEP) Student Chapter where she is the president.
The Student Chapter allows
students like Is to work with children and at the same time provide
them with the interaction experience that would be helpful during
their Student Internship Programme.
One of the active collaborations
that the Student Chapter established is
with Tampines Regional Library, where
student volunteers like Is carry out reading programmes and educational skits for
children aged three to seven years old.
Anzac Day commander
By: Soh Ju Eun
N
ot many students have the opportunity to represent Singapore overseas for a prestigious programme. Amir Asyraff Bin
Mohd Yusof was given the chance
to head to Australia for the National Cadet Corps (NCC) International Sea Cadet Exchange Programme
which was held from April 12 to 26.
“I felt honoured because not
everyone got this opportunity to go
to Australia, only two of us were
able to join the trip!” Amir said.
Asked by his NCC Captain, Amir managed to get a place
after going through an interview.
The NCC International Sea Cadet
Exchange programme also included cadets from Britain, Australia and Canada.
Amir was appointed a platoon commander for Anzac Day,
which
commemorates
war
heros of Australia and New Zealand.
“It is a very big event. It was
telecast live in Australia, New Zealand. I was really proud that I became
the parade commander for them.”
Amir did face a few difficulties during his short stay in Australia, which did
not deter him. “The few obstacles were
my language barrier, because I am not
good at communicating ; and it was very
hard to get Halal food over there ; (and)
missing my loved ones when I was there.”
Amir seemed to have a lot of
passion for NCC as he talked about it.
“When I was in Secondary 1, we had CCA
open house, and NCC caught my sight
at that time,” said Amir when asked how
he decided to join the uniform group.
The first-year Aerospace Electronics student shared that it was not easy juggling both his studies and CCA activities.
“Coping well with school?
Yes and no. Yes, because my friends
help out in my studies. No, because
some subjects like Engineering Math,
I’m still catching up with them.”
“I want to thank my captain,
who had helped me out through
this trip. He taught me how to pass
the interview for the trip. Physically, he was there to motivate me.”
ENGINEERING
By: Tao Yuan Ling
Stop Press :: June 2013
trail
5
Photographer
without a camera
By: Caroline Quek
“I
started photography out
of interest because of my
friends in photography in
secondary school,” says Jackie Kwong.
“Back then, it was Secondary 4 and at that
point of time, I didn’t have a camera.”
The second year Hospitality &
Tourism (HTM) student does not own
a camera.
So how does he accomplish his assignments despite not having the basics?
“What I did was I learned everything in
theory. So I checked the Internet and
learnt about all the theory-based kind of
problems. And then maybe about a year
after that, I actually held my first camera.”
Jackie is now a freelance photographer who has been hired to shoot
for various occasions, though he insists that it is not considered a business.
“A couple of times I’ll help out a
friend to do events. For instance, my first
wedding shoot, which was two years ago.”
During that time, he was still
without a camera so he had to rent
a camera via a camera rental centre. “And then I got paid and I don’t
know if you call it business...it’s more
freelance photographer. If people
want (me) then I’ll do it,” he says.
The type of events he has covered include a photo-shoot in local
nightclub Avalon and a shoot for the
Singapore Grand Prix, which Jackie
points out as the most unforgettable.
“I was working as an intern over
there (at the Singapore Grand Prix) and
they asked me, ‘You do photography
right?’ I said ‘yeah’ and they asked, ‘Oh,
can you help us do this shoot?’” Jackie consented and got paid soon after.
In spite of all this, he refuses to
purchase a camera to call his own. When
asked why, he replies: “Because I do
(photography) really as more of a hobby
ultimately.
“And I would rather use the funds,
or whatever I’ve earned to do my business necessities.”
You would think
that Jackie has a
place reserved for
photography in his
future, but that is
not the case.
As for
now, he does
not plan to
make it a
profession
when he
graduates.
“I’m
in
my (HTM)
course and
I plan to
pursue it all
the way.”
Quiet achiever and volunteer
By: Desiree Leong
C
hong Wei Kiat, a second-year
Business Intelligence & Analytics student, may come across as a
timorous teenager but the 18-year-old is
definitely nothing of that sort.
As one of the four freshmen that
made up the only polytechnic team that
emerged as second runner-up in the
NUS ISE National Business Analytics
Case Competition 2013, Wei Kiat considers the experience to be one of his
greatest achievements.
The students had to apply their
newfound knowledge by coming up with
a restaurant layout proposal as part of
the case study presented.
Each team was given two weeks to
complete both the proposal and presentation. Fighting for time to complete the
project was one of the main challenges
faced by Wei Kiat and his team.
“We had to come up with a proposal within one week and then present
it in another week. It totally had nothing
to do with our course.”
“It was something new, something
to learn about. What’s more, we were
against teams like Raffles Junior College,
Anglo-Chinese Junior College and other
big schools. We seemed tiny, like the underdog,” said Wei Kiat.
However, it did not appear as
much of a surprise when the team found
out that they had entered the final round.
“We were jumping for joy when they announced our names. We were really happy as it felt deserving to be up there. We
did our best throughout the two weeks
of the competition and were professional with our work all along.”
As for his plans for the future, Wei
Kiat sees himself pursuing further his
studies in the Business Analytics course
in NUS.
“I think business analytics is interesting and I see a future in this field. I
would probably become an analyst,
be it financial or business.”
In his free time, Wei Kiat volunteers as one of the leaders at Ang
Mo Kio Family Service Centre.
He teaches primary school
kids English, Mathematics and Science and it
has been a weekly
affair for one and a
half years.
Wei Kiat also
spends his free
time writing
songs. With
a burning
desire for
new experiences,
Wei Kiat
could go
a
long
way
in
life.
Designer takes up a business challenge
T
hird-year Design student, Si Min
Xiong spoke with zeal about
his course of study. “I’m currently studying for a diploma in Interactive Media Design, it’s a very
exciting course,” said Min Xiong.
He also highlighted how both
the designing and programming aspects of the course allow him to have
the best of both worlds in many ways.
He said: “Interactive Media Design
means that we are versatile in the things we
do, which range from print to web designs.”
Min Xiong has also proved to
many that he is not confined to his
course of study by challenging himself
with things unrelated to his diploma.
For example, he led the winning team at the Moove Media Young
Business Talents 2013 Competition.
The competition focused on nurturing the entrepreneurship talents in youths,
and teams were put through a series of
challenges that were based on real-life
work scenarios over a span of three days.
“The activities really bonded the 7
teams together, and we had great fun participating in it as well,” said Min Xiong.
Min Xiong said his team had to
deal with obstacles right from pre-competition. “The competition process was
a nerve-wracking one as the tasks were
given on the spot itself! Basically, we
could not prepare much except to ensure
that we were in the best of shape, physically and mentally,” explained Min Xiong.
TP has provided me with a conducive
environment to study and to acquire new
knowledge.
Due to the nature of the competition, teams were better off if they
had a business background. However,
for Min Xiong and his team, they had
close to none or little experience in business. Hence, they ran into problems
with some of the business-related challenges. However, that did not discourage the team from doing their best and
ultimately winning the title as champions.
To have led a record-breaking
team was definitely an amazing experience for Min Xiong, which he jokingly
referred to as “being like Iron Man”.
He added: “It was really fun working together with (the team). I am blessed
with crazy yet amazing team members.
Team spirits were always high. Even
when we were the last for one of the
segments in the competition, we were
still cheering for other teams! Can you
believe that? The team dynamics and
performances were really outstanding.”
Min Xiong accredited part of
his competition success to the learning environment he is offered in TP.
“I would say that TP has provided me
with a conducive environment to study
and to acquire new knowledge. My lecturers have been of paramount importance in imparting technical skill sets
and instilling life values into students.
Awesome friends have also proven to
be a great motivation in my time in TP.”
DESIGN
By: Tao Yuan Ling
6
Stop Press :: June 2013
C
C
N
D
A
Y
This semester’s Campus Care Network (CCN) Day was held on Friday, May 10.
The School of Business, School of Humanities and Social Sciences and School
of Informatics and IT participated in the fund-raising carnival. More than 140 stalls
were set up in the plaza concourse and the hallways of the participating schools.
They included food stalls and games stalls.
At the end of the day, students and staff raised some $29,300 to help needy
students. In the last academic year, about $62,800 were collected from the 2 CCN
days held. From this, about $38,000 were given out to 184 needy students.
The second CCN Day event for this academic year will be in November when
the schools of Applied Science, Design and Engineering as well as the Centre for
Foundation Studies will participate.
Among the food stalls along the Business School corridor was this chocolate fondue stand.
(Above) Haunted house set up by Communications & Media Management students saw long
queues.
Cotton candy makers were among the
equipment that students sourced for
their stalls.
Strawberry cheesecakes were among the food
items sold. Some were home-made goodies.
A French cultural club member dressed in
traditional costume attracting customers
Photos, Text & Layout: Cheryl Mui, Charmine Ang
Customers checking out a second-hand
Balloons add to the carnival atmosphere along the goods stall run by School of Humanities &
Social Sciences students.
plaza concourse which was lined with stalls.
mind
scape
Stop
StopPress
Press::::June
June2008
2013
Facing my demons
You can choose to be your own
best friend or your own worst enemy.
By: Gurpavan Kaur Gill
W
hen people talk about demons,
they usually refer to negative
supernatural entities, or people
that they view in a negative light. However, very often in life, we are our own
enemies.
Sometimes we bring ourselves
down without even realising it. This does
not mean that there is no hope for us, it
just means that like every other challenge
in life, we should find a way to overcome
it instead of running away.
All of us have our own demons to
face - so have I. How we go about facing
them, is by first accepting that “I am not
perfect. That I have flaws too, but hey!
Who doesn’t?”. Once you have learnt to
accept that you have flaws, you are no
longer at conflict with yourself when you
make mistakes.
I have learnt that it is perfectly human for us to make mistakes, but what
is important is reflecting on the reasons
why you made that mistake, and considering a change in perspective.
By doing so, you will be one step
closer to making a positive change in your
attitude, and by making that change, you
will also be one step closer to making a
positive change in terms of the kind of
people you attract in your life. This simple shift in one’s mindset can bring about
a drastic postive change in your life.
Whenever I find myself saying or
doing something to hurt someone, or
hurt myself, I stop for a second and think
7
My Space is for any TP student to share
his or her thoughts and experiences. You
are invited to write an article of about 600
words.
Please write to MySpace.StopPress@
gmail.com with subject heading “Mindscape”. Articles will be edited for content
and length.
about the kind of implications my actions can either choose to be your own best
will have on me and the people around friend or your own worst enemy.
This is how I face my demons.
me. If I know that what I am doing is not
going to benefit anyone (including myself), or is going to be something I regret
in the future, I will not do it.
In every person, there is some
good, and there is some bad. Sometimes
it feels like there is a constant battle going
on within me, like an angel and a demon
metaphorically residing in different parts
of my head.Whenever I feel that way, I
remind myself that the choice is entirely
mine, and only mine, to make.
Both positive and negative thoughts
and intentions stem from your own head
so it is entirely up to you to choose which
direction you want to go. It is perfectly
normal to get angry or to feel like you’re
being weighed down, but what matters
is how you deal with it. What matters is
knowing that you can overcome anything
that life throws at you, if you want to.
What matters is realising that you
Sometimes it
feels like there is
a constant battle
going on within
me, like an angel
and a demon
metaphorically
residing in different
parts of my head.
Is hollywood running out of ideas?
By: Tanujja Dadlani
H
as Hollywood run out of ideas?
That’s the question movie-goers
have raised recently. Dorothy
Parker once said, “The only ‘ism’ Hollywood believes in, is plagiarism.”
Some may feel that this statement
is rather extreme, but recently, Hollywood
has been using classics such as Marvel
comic, Iron Man 3, or the great American Novel, The Great Gatsby, to achieve
blockbuster statuses or reel in the mega
bucks.
Just last Christmas, Les Misérables,
another classic by French author Victor Hugo, knocked most of the Golden
western movies that are being made nowadays. Stark, recently wrote in an online
article on the Huffington Post about Hollywood’s fascination with aging.
He says: “Every movie I go to now
stars people my age and older who are
suffering. I can’t take it anymore.”
While he is appreciative of the fact
that Hollywood has started making movies with older people in it, he cites that everyone in the audience was laughing at the
warm-hearted comedy except for him, as
he was too busy identifying with all of the
characters’ ailments.
All these individuals from their respective age groups seem to have different opinions on what movies should be,
but they all seem to agree on one thing.
Apart from the occasional profound movie, Hollywood has not lived up
to expectations when it comes to creating
original and creative ideas.
While the mass audiences hardly
have a choice or a say in the matter, they
certainly hope that better movies are
made.
Be it a romantic comedy, or a fierce
action thriller, everyone should go into
the movies and be able to come out
with a pacified heart and an enlightHowever, online writer John Stark, ened mind. As Audrey Hepburn said:
of the theatre, “with the feeling of having watched the movie before.” As a re- from the slightly older generation, has “Everything I learned I learned from the
sult, people are starting to wonder if Hol- other worries and complaints against movies.”
Globes and Academy Awards out of the
park. Not only did it achieve critical acclaim, it also earned a whopping $437
million worldwide.
In between Les Misérables and Iron
Man 3, there have been a series of comedies, sci-fi and dramatic movies that have
neither made an impact on the audiences
nor achieved critical acclaim at the box
office. An example would be a recent release, Warm Bodies.
While it seems like a standard zombie movie, there was a new twist to the
tale. The twist was that the unusual zombie saves the female lead, Julie, from an
attack.
Also, the character slowly manages to become human again while their
love story slowly unfolds throughout the
movie.
Even with a fresh angle, Zombie
movie enthusiast Emily Heng came out
lywood has run out of genuinely good
ideas for movies.
Keshav Tan, 19, feels that with the
exception of a few good movies, Hollywood tends to be predictable and repetitive.
“While I do enjoy the occasional
slapstick comedies or clichéd action thrillers, I think Hollywood has reached an all
time low when it comes to creativity in
their movies. Or it was always at a low,
and I just realised it, I don’t know.”
While some find that the movies
are going through a lull, older citizens
such as Frank Foster, 47, feel that “Hollywood movies are still enjoyable”.
“I enjoy the action movies and the
thrillers as well as the comedies. They
are not timepass movies for me, but I
do agree that most movies have lost the
pizzazz that Hollywood is usually known
for,” said Mr Foster.
Hollywood has not lived up to its
expectations when it comes to creating
original and creative ideas.
8
Stop Press :: June 2013
Students opting for lighter netbooks
By: Wee Jing Ye
W
ith the inevitable heavy bag load
coming from increased schoolwork, projects or textbooks,
more students in TP find alternative ways
to reduce shoulder aches when they need
to bring a computing device to school.
As such, netbooks are becoming increasingly well received amongst students
as a cost- and weight-efficient device to carry out both academic and leisure activites.
Originally starting out as highly compact 7-inch laptops, netbooks have slowly
but steadily evolved into their bigger counterparts, boasting a 10-inch display and
boosting performances at the same time.
Netbooks are similar to a standard
notebook in appearance but in a much
smaller scale, and are more commonly run
with Windows OS.
Given the smaller size, Netbooks
tend to lack in performance compared to
notebooks, with almost all netbooks running an Intel Atom Processor, along with
an approximate 1GB RAM and 250GB
hard disk drive.
However, some see the compromised performance of the netbook positively as it simply equates to a much longer battery life due to decreased computer
tasks and processes.
A 6-cell battery is able to sustain a
netbook for 8 to 10 hours straight with average use, which many students find highly
convenient and cohesive with their academic and recreational uses.
Students can work on group projects
or assignments with Microsoft Office support, and browse the Internet seamlessly
with the netbook’s many functions and accessibilities.
The weight of the netbook is the
plus point for many consumers, with the
average 7-10 inch netbook weighing in at
1.9 to 2.5kg. This means easy and strainless holding or carrying of the computer
Ye Min Oo, 19, frequently brings his
Asus netbook to school. “I mainly use my
netbook to listen to music, do group work,
and go to the Internet. It carries out basic
functions really well, and I feel that a netbook’s definitely worth the small amount
of money I forked out for it. My only
qualm is its YouTube performance for HD
videos.”
Due to variety in sizes and specifications, prices in Singapore range from $300
to as high as $800, but many students find
the price justifiable as they feel that the increased portability and sleekness offset the
cost.
If you too are like the many students
when walking from class to class.
However, the netbook comes with looking for a lightweight way to surf the
its downsides as well. Students would not web or carry out school work, a netbook
be able to perform high CPU performance could just be the thing you’re looking for.
tasks such as gaming due to the inadequate
Netbook Specs:
performance of the Intel Atom.
Most netbooks also do not come
Processor Intel Atom Processor
with CD Drives, hence requiring external
disk readers to be purchased in order to Memory
1GB RAM
read CDs.
While the netbook is great for per- Storage
250GB
forming basic tasks such as note-taking,
10 inches
creating documents such as PowerPoint Display
slides, and Internet surfing, it pales when Battery
6 cell, 8 - 10 hrs
it comes to performance of tasks such as
Weight
1.9 - 2.5 kg
HD video streaming and gaming.
Look out for Google Glass - ‘Smart Specs’
By: Nickson Tan
G
oogle’s newest foray into mobile
communication has begun with
Google Glass, a device that is
worn like a pair of glasses and displays
smart phone capabilities and elements on
the glass lens. The Google Glass aims to
free data from desktop computers and
portable devices like phones and tablets,
and place it right in front of your eyes.
Essentially, Google Glass is a camera, display and a touchpad ‘compressed’
into spectacle frames to perform various
user to take pictures or videos almost instantaneously. The developer model contains 16GB of Flash Memory, as well as
Bluetooth and WiFi capabilities. Battery
life is also expected to last a whole day
with “average usage”.
Google Glass is also Android
based and hence has future plans on
Application support and integrating the
various Google services.
The frame can be replaced and adjusted, and is expected to be both lightweight and extremely robust. The product also features a touchpad along the
flat right side of Glass capable of fourdirection swiping and tapping.
According to previous users, tapping once would turn the Glass on, and
tilting one’s head up or tapping the capacitive touch portion on the side would
activate the display, with the default disPhoto: Google.com play clock labelled with an “OK Glass”
functions such as filming, photography, directly below it.
Not only does Google Glass utilise
information searching and translation.
However, the Google Glass is still motion sensing to its fullest capabilities
not available in the market and only a – voice recognition also plays a big part
handful of individuals known as Goggle in the functionality of the product. The
Explorers from around the world have Glass’ different functions are carried out
had the lucky chance to test out the prod- by the many verbal commands, including
uct. Application to become a Google Ex- “OK Glass, take a Photo”. Users have
claimed the voice recognition system to
plorer has since ended.
Google Glass boasts a 640X360 be “top-class” and “highly responsive”,
display that includes a 5 megapixel cam- while complaints regarding the audio
era capable of filming in 720p, along mostly surround “subpar performances
with a built-in microphone, allowing the of audio playback”.
Despite being a market changing
innovation, Google Glass currently faces
problems from testers and consumers,
largely regarding privacy issues.
Privacy exploitation materialises in
the form of a bug that enables someone
to completely take over the Glass unit,
and currently, there are no known solutions to stopping the access capabilities
of such efforts.
Many are requesting for Google
to develop a certain form of software
protection to prevent identity theft and
accessibility. Technology review site
TechRadar voices its concerns, stating
that “a bugged Glass doesn’t just watch
your every move: it watches everything
you are looking at (intentionally or furtively) and hears everything you do.”
Development models are being
sold to selected individuals at US$1,500,
along with a snap-on sunglasses visor,
a clear visor, and a Micro-USB charger.
Technological evangelist Robert Scoble
conducted a survey pertaining to consumer’s preferences towards the pricing
of the Google Glass, with majority showing interest if the product was priced at
US$200, and an abysmal response when
priced at US$500.
Google Glass will be available in
five colours: Charcoal, Tangerine, Shale,
Cotton and Sky. The product is scheduled to be released late this year or early
next year.
Stop Press :: June 2013
Mixed reaction to Pokémon X and Y on 3DS
By: Emily Heng
O
n Jan 8, Satoru Iwata, the president and CEO of Nintendo Co
Ltd, released a video announcing the unveiling of the latest Pokémon
game, Pokémon X and Y, which will only
be available on Nintendo’s latest console,
the 3DS.
This announcement caused uproar
among many loyal fans that have been
playing the Pokémon games on the DS
console for many years.
“I have been playing the games
since I was six years old. Wow, that’s like
twelve years,” said Rachel Goh, from the
diploma in Retail
Management.
“I started
from the Gameboy colour to
the Gameboy advanced to the DS.
“However,
I am not pleased
with the very fact
that I have to invest at least $300
for the 3DS console and the new
Pokémon game.”
The price of a 3DS varies. A normal
XL 3DS consoles costs up to $299 and the
limited edition Pikachu and Charizard version 3DS consoles cost $368 and more.
Joanne Lim, a Temasek Polytechnic
alumnus said: “I have been a loyal fan of
Pokémon and Nintendo for many years so
I almost feel cheated.”
“I already had to pay $299 for a
DS to play Pokémon Black and White 2
last year, and now I have to spend some
more money to play the newest Pokémon
game.”
Nintendo released a statement
claiming that the reason Pokémon X and
Y is only available on 3DS is due to the
completely new three dimensional style
of game play as well as the 3D-modelled
characters and creatures.
The battle system has been improved as well, featuring more lively reactions to the attacks.
Despite these improvements, fans
still expressed displeasure at the changes.
“They should actually release it in
the normal DS version. I’m not a big fan
of 3D animation. I actually prefer them in
movies and not games. Plus, I have seen
the preview of the new Pokémon characters and am disappointed to see what they
did to the new Mewtwo and Eevee evolution, Sylveon,” says Rachel, before adding with a laugh, “New Mewtwo actually
reminds me of Cell
from Dragon Ball
Z.”
Many Pokémon fans were upset with the newest
Pokémon characters
introduced in Generation IV, namely
the new Eevee
evolution, Sylveon
as well as the new
9
Pokémon that resembles the iconic Pokémon from the first generation, Mewtwo.
“It seemed like there was no effort
put into developing newer, better characters,” Joanne Lim complained. “They simply remade and added a few twists here
and there to already existing characters.
It’s just really disheartening.”
But there are still many others who
don’t mind spending on a 3DS console.
One of them is Engineering student, Alvin Ng, 19.
“I don’t understand why everyone is
so angry. As a hard-core fan, I’m willing to
spend. Pokémon is my childhood. If Nintendo wants to improve the game playing
experience for everyone, why should any
one complain?”
Double-platform success of Candy Crush
By: Emily Heng
I
t is a common sight to see teenagers
on public transport staring, transfixed, at their phone screens. Glance
over to see what they’re so enamoured
with and you’ll see neat rows of brightly
coloured candies.
They swipe and jab at their screens
frantically as the candies disappear in
threes before a congratulatory message
fills the screen. This is the most popular
Facebook and mobile application since
March 2013: Candy Crush.
According to AppData, Candy
Crush has 14.4 million daily players and
has surpassed FarmVille 2 as the most
popular game on Facebook.
So what is it about this candy
themed puzzle game that is so addictive
to teenagers and adults alike?
“I think what makes Candy Crush
so addictive is the fact that it has variety.
Each level is never the same and it gets
harder and harder each time,” says Enning Liu, from the Diploma in Law and
Management.
According to King CEO, the
company behind the wildly popular
Candy Crush, the key to Candy Crush’s
success was due to the fact that the
game was available on two platforms.
It is available on Facebook as
well as on mobile. Players are able to
play Candy Crush on both platforms
uninterrupted.
“It’s just really convenient that I can
play it on my phone and on Facebook,”
says Au Wai Ling, 17, a student from
Pharmaceutical Science.
“I’ll play it on my phone when I’m
on the way home and when I get home
I’ll log onto Facebook and play it from
there. It’s so easily accessible but also really frustrating! I hate getting stuck on a
level and having to wait for a while before
I can play again.”
Another reason behind Candy
Crush’s popularity is it’s interactivity.
Friends are able to send each other lives
through Facebook and can even compete
with each other by comparing the number
of levels they have passed.
“I think the fact that it’s a competition between your friends makes it fun. It
feels more interactive. And unlike Bejewelled, the levels are more challenging in
Candy Crush so it makes it more addictive,” says Stephanie Chee, 17, from Communications and Media Management.
While Candy Crush is still the most
popular game of the moment on both
mobile and Facebook, many have speculated that its popularity will be short-lived.
“In this new generation, with so
many other apps available, I would and
am getting bored of Candy Crush,” says
Rachel Chan, 17, another student from
Communication and Media Management.
“Plus, with apps being so easy to make,
there may be other applications that
would take over Candy Crush.”
According to Dean Takahashi, a
writer for gaming website Venturebeat,
new app Puzzles and Dragons developed
by GungHo is catching up with Candy
Crush and has even surpassed Candy
Crush in terms of revenue.
This is because Puzzles and Dragons is number one on both iOS and
Google Play and has generated more than
ten million downloads to date in Japan
alone.
“Everything has an expiration
date,” says Sharon Tan, a student from
Business School.
“I guarantee you that the Candy
Crush hype will die down in a matter of
months. It is currently at its peak, so just
give it a little while more. Two months
from now, everyone else will be talking
about the latest ‘it’ app of the moment
and Candy Crush will be forgotten about
entirely.”
King CEO, has developed two more
apps, Papa Pear Saga, an aim and shoot
game, and Farm Heroes Saga, a matching
puzzle game. However, both apps have
failed to live up to Candy Crush’s hype.
“Candy Crush will be dethroned
soon,” says Au Wai Ling. “We’ll just have
to see when.”
Stop Press :: June 2013
10
TP Blazers 3rd in cheerleading championship
By: Erica Leong & Jasper Ku
A
fter a year of sheer hard work and
determination, Temasek Polytechnic’s cheerleading squad, the
TP Blazers, emerged second runner-up in
the National Cheerleading Championship
held in March, moving up from last year’s
ninth position.
“It wasn’t an easy journey, there
were many obstacles that we faced. Like
in the beginning, we had a total of 150 recruitments but by the end of the season,
we only had 6 left,” said Nigel Sim, Captain of TP Blazers.
The shortage of members meant
that they only had a team of 19 members – 17 girls and 2 boys – to compete
in the National Cheerleading Championship. This proved to be a disadvantage as
most teams had a full-fledged squad of 24
members.
“Our team didn’t fully utilise the 25
slots. With less people, we had to work
harder to match up to them,” said Chng
Wee Liang, the Vice-Captain.
Another obstacle the squad faced
was the lack of proper training facilities,
as the school’s Indoor Sports Complex is
shared amongst other co-curricular activity groups. As a result, the team improvised
and made use of the space available at the
South Wing building as their training area.
Nigel explained: “There always
wasn’t a fixed location for us to train and
sometimes we’ll go to the South Wing, but
it’s not a really big place, and because in
cheerleading we use mats as our base to
stunt the cheer, we need to at least have
space to cheer.”
However, the team did not want
to let the obstacles stand in the way of
their passion for cheer, and their desire to
succeed.
“We all wanted to do better, and we
knew that it all boils down to hard work.
I guess it was the drive to win the competition and prove ourselves as worthy
competitors. That increased the overall
morale,” said Wee Liang.
Both captains agreed that the change
in competition rulings by the Internation-
Temasek Poly’s national
speed skater Deanna See
By: Joshua Vong
B
eing described as “the first and
still only female skater to qualify
for the national team”, Deanna
See’s (centre, above picture) sporting
achievements are certainly something
worth bragging about, like coming in
third at the recent World Development
Trophy.
However, despite her success in
the short track, speed skating was not
what this second-year Communications
and Media Management Student initially
planned to do.
In short track speed skating four to
six skaters race along the circumference
of an international-sized ice hockey rink.
It was upgraded to a full Olympic sport in
1992 and has been one of the highlights
of the Winter Olympics ever since.
Starting out as an aspiring figure
skater back in 2006, curiosity pushed
Deanna to join an introductory camp on
short track speed skating held by the Singapore Ice Skating Association.
And to the surprise of many, including herself, she emerged as one of
the top six, out of more than a hundred
participants, and was given the rare opportunity to go to China for an intensive
training camp.
“After a year or so I decided I preferred short track to figure so I made the
permanent switch. I have never looked
back since!” exclaimed the spunky 18
year-old.
Deanna juggles schoolwork with
training of up to six times a week. What
makes this particularly challenging is that
her team is not able to skate during public
opening hours at the rink.
Hence, her trainings start at 5am on
weekends and end at midnight on weekdays – a tall order for a student.
Some other challenges that Deanna
and her team face is the fact that they only
get three “ice” sessions per week, whereas
her competitors overseas are able to train
at least twice a day thanks to the frigid
nature of their countries’ weather.
Regular “ice” sessions are an essential part of any Singapore-based competitive winter-sports team as due to our
tropical climate, the maintenance of a
man-made ice rink takes a significant
amount of time and manpower, making
“ice” sessions few and far between.
With upcoming international competitions, Deanna said: “My plans for the
future are to work hard and continue to
break my personal best. My next major
goal will be the Asian Winter Games!”
al Cheer Union also played a big part in
motivating the team. The new squad size
policy increased the maximum number of
members in a team, from 16 to 24.
“Many people worked hard because
they didn’t want to be left out and there
was a higher chance that they could qualify. It was something to aspire and work
towards,” said Nigel.
The 19-year-old captain believes
that motivation is very important. “There’s
nothing you can’t do if you put your mind
to it. Positive encouragement works and
this has always worked out so far.”
Wei Liang adds: “We have come
across situations where we can’t master a
stunt, and we feel very frustrated, some
disputes almost happened because of
this. But as team mates, it’s our duty to
motivate each other.”
Dragonboaters gearing up
for upcoming POL-ITE games
By: Erica Leong
W
ith the annual POL-ITE (Polytechnic-Institute of Technical
Education) games approaching, Temasek Polytechnic’s Dragon Boat
Women’s League captain, Ms Siti Nurulhuda Bte Amir has already got her team
rigorously training for the competition.
“For non-competition, it’ll be like
maybe twice a week, but now we’re increasing it to four times a week – Tuesday,
Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, because
competition is nearing.”
The team has two types of training
exercises – land and water training.
Both training exercises are equally important for a competitive dragon
boater, as apart from mastering the rowing techniques (from water training), one
must also be physically fit. These land
exercises include running, jumping, and
training with weights.
“Land training helps us in endurance and strength, which is very important in dragon boating because we need
speed,” says the third-year Hospitality and
Tourism Management student.
Apart from training as a team, individual training of strength and stamina is
also important as dragon boating is a very
physically demanding sport.
Each person has the responsibility of being disciplined when it comes to
their own individual training outside of
the CCA.
“Dragon boating is a very tough
sport so we’re all very hardcore,” Siti says,
laughing. “If I feel that I have to train on
strength, then I’ll go to the gym and train
my upper body, or if it’s speed or endurance, then I’ll go running.”
Just like any other sport, one’s diet is
also a very important aspect when preparing for a major competition. “The body
requires even more energy, because our
training get tougher and some might not
be able to handle it.”
However, there are no dragon boat
training on days leading up to the competition as the coach would ask the team
to rest and not do any strenuous activities.
A day before any race, the coach
would advise the team to “stock up on
their carbo.”
When asked if the team had any
“pre-race good luck” ritual, Siti smiled and
nodded enthusiastically.
“Umm yes. But I don’t do it. Some
of the members will buy some flowers, go
to the temple, and get the flowers ‘blessed’,
then on the day of the competition, they’ll
sprinkle the flowers on the head of the
dragon boat, for good luck.”
Stop Press :: June 2013
11
Venturing Out
esides working for their diploma,
some TP students are proactive in
seeking opportunities to grow their
talent or pursue their personal interests.
Tiara-Raisha Jailani, a second-year
Retail Management student has already
scored her first modelling opportunity.
At first, she
turned down the
offer. However,
after much encouragement from
her peers, she took
it up as a favour for a
friend.
Tiara said, “It
was nerve-wracking
because I wasn’t
confident of how
I look as compared
to all those models out there… I
got the hang of it
after a while with
the support of the
crew members.”
planade and it includes Baybeats Budding
Writer, which Alexander took part in. Alexander sent in his work to the organisers
in the hope of getting through.
“Writing for Baybeats would give
me the opportunity to indulge in both
(music and writing). It was too good to
A fashionista herself, she was fea- pass up,” said Alexander.
tured on the online fashion journal, Poshism, for the inter-polytechnic competition,
Fashion Feud 2012.
Tiara now dreams of being a model
one day. She looks up to Ashley Isham,
an internationally acclaimed Singaporean fashion designer, and wishes that she
would reach such success one day.
Unlike Tiara, Alexander Sun had
to work hard for his first writing gig.
The secondyear Communica– Alexander Sun
tions and Media
Baybeats Writer
Management stuAfter waiting for two long weeks,
dent, always had a
he was appointed an official Baybeats
penchant for writwriter. Under the mentorship of noted
ing.
music writer and recording artist, Kevin
Baybeats
Mathews, he has learnt a lot of valuable
Festival – an anskills in music journalism.
nual alternative loHe said: “It’s pretty exciting to be
cal music festival
part of something as big as Baybeats.”
staging a grand asAnother TP student took a shot at
sembly of up-andan international contest. Third-year Visual
coming local and
regional acts – offers a Baybeats Youth Communication student, Nidia Marissa
Donyada, participated in a vinyl sleeve
Programme.
This programme grants tertiary- design competition. Nidia’s entry was the
level students a chance to work with Es- most voted design sleeve.
So chic,
It’s Geek!
said: “It’s so popular because most
students wear whatever’s in trend
right now.” And not to mention the
influence of celebrities sporting such
apparel.
TP students are seeking opportunities to
pursue their personal interests
By: Farah Firzanah
B
Writing for Baybeats would give
me the opportunity
to indulge in both
(music and writing).
By: Serene Kwek
By: Amirul Asyraf
B
eing un-cool is the new cool.
The “chic geek” phenomenon
has arrived, and Temasek Polytechnic is no stranger to the trend.
Take a quick walk around the campus, and you will be greeted with students donned in trendy T-shirts with
words like Geek, Dweeb, Nerd and
Dork emblazoned on it. Over the
years, the perception of geek has certainly evolved.
Lately, the geek culture has become more popular thanks to TV
shows like The Big Bang Theoryand
King Of The Nerds. The Big Bang
Theory is centered around five geeks
while the latter features 11 nerds
competing against each other to be
the best nerd.
Both shows aim to eradicate the
common perception we have of these
groups and start looking at them in a
new light, which now shouts “cool”.
The shows seem to be working
well, as evidenced by the popularity
of the T-shirts here. 18-year-old Joan
Sim, a second-year student from the
Diploma in Accounting and Finance
Athletic
kicks
W
Most recently, Hayley Williams, lead singer of rock band Paramore, wore a Dweeb T-shirt in her
band’s latest video for Still Into You.
Known for her individualistic sense
of style, the young singer has since
worn other similar designs.
There are also countless websites and blogs dedicated to this trend,
taking fashion inspirations from the
geek culture and assembling trendy
outfits. www.nerdyfashionblog.com is
one such example.
The trend might be all the rage
now, but does it have enough staying
power? Stefani Koh, 18, said: “I don’t
think this trend will last long and it’ll
fade off.” A wearer of the geek apparel, Stefani feels that the clothes are
already starting to lose their novelty.
ith the recent 90’s revival
in fashion, forget what you
thought you knew about
fashion forward shoes. These days,
both designers and street-style enthusiasts alike are trading their dressy
brogues and loafers for athletic kicks.
Yes, you heard me right. Flexible and lightweight trainers, meant
for the traditional purpose of running, are now getting the fashion
treatment and becoming hot property among many trend followers here.
Take your pick from a plentitude of colourful and stylish designs,
from the classic Nike Air to the oldschool New Balance (which has long
been under the radar in the shoe
game).
Such footwear, which are heavy
on comfort, now boast the best of
both worlds, as they no longer just
belong in the gym.
Unlike trainers from the last
decade (think neon, chunky-striped
Adidas Camper sneakers), the ones
today are less flashy and they come in
a variety of simple colours to suit the
The contest is part of a project by
Secret 7” and Talenthouse based in London, where seven tracks from seven of
the best-known bands and artists were
pressed 100 times to vinyl.
Creatives from around the world
got to interpret the artwork in their own
style for one of the seven tracks and chosen designs got their work exhibited and
sold on Record Store Day for charity.
On taking part in the competition,
Nidia said: “If I hadn’t learnt all the tools
to make a design piece in school or if I
hadn’t gotten my inspiration from the
work that my peers and seniors have produced, I wouldn’t have had the guts to
submit my own sleeve design.”
ever changing and evolving appetites
of fashionistas.
Yeo Tian Poh, a first-year student from the Diploma in Interior
Design & Architecture, first became
aware of the trend whilst scrolling
through the accounts owned by avid
fashion bloggers on social media
platform Instagram.
“I love that I’m able to wear my
new pair of trainers with almost anything and still look stylish. They’re really comfortable too,” said Tian Poh.
Muhammad Zakir Aman from
the Diploma in Visual Communication believes that such trendy trainers
allow users to wear them for sporting
purposes and for daily wear as well.
“Gone are the days when you
would be a laughing stock if you
paired your jeans with trainers. This
fashion fad is most likely fuelled by
the trend of celebrities wearing them
nowadays,” noted Zakir.
Ex
ou
12
Stop Press :: June 2013
TP songbirds make it to the top 11
By: Caroline Quek
T
hree TP students got into the Top
11 of the hotly contested Final 1
talent show. They were Glen Wee,
Hashy Yusof and Yuresh Balakrishnan.
The Final 1 Singapore’s newest
talent contest received as many as 1000
entries via auditions posted on the videosharing website, YouTube. Of the 1000
entries that were sent in, the show’s judges (consisting of local singer Kit Chan,
former Idol judge Ken Lim, and Idol
winner Taufik Batisah) chose 60 to perform live for them.
The contestants would then be
narrowed to the finalists. The winner of
the show gets $50,000 cash as well as a
$50,000 recording contract.
With her long black locks and guitar in hand, Hashy looks like every other teenage hopeful looking for the big
break. Except that when she opens her
mouth and starts to sing, you know she
is something special. The pretty 18-yearold was genuinely surprised that she
made the cut. She progressed till the Top
11 of the contest.
“I didn’t expect to get this far,” she
confessed. “I almost didn’t send in my
audition video because I didn’t believe in
myself. But my friends managed to talk
me into sending it.”
Hashy has entered singing competitions during her primary and secondary
school days; her persistence and drive
paid off when she attained the champion title in Secondary 4. The Aerospace
Engineering student also writes her own
songs.
Photo: www.meradio.sg/thefinalone
Yuresh
Maggie
Hashy
“After a sad incident in my life, I
spent a lot of time feeling down and blue.
Then I started writing my own songs and
found comfort in writing them,” Hashy
revealed. Soon after that she began doing gigs, channelling her energy into performing and music.
She hopes to pursue a mix of alternative rock/pop and folk music, listing
musicians such as James Morrision and
Ingrid Michaelson as her inspirations.
“Their songs are heartfelt and
I’m always able to relate to their lyrics.”
Hashy echoes what her fellow contestant
Maggie Syazana feels about making it in
into the competition.
“It feels very surreal,” she says.
“Seeing myself on TV and on the big
screens of shopping malls has made me
feel quite odd. To be selected in the Top
40 has felt even more amazing because I
couldn’t believe that I was chosen among
all the talented people there.”
Maggie, who is currently studying
Apparel Design & Merchandising, has
had a passion for performing throughout
her life, although singing was not her first
choice. “Singing for audiences is something quite new to me now as I’ve been
dancing more often before this.”
Maggie, who was unable to go
beyond the Top 40, cites musicians like
Kimbra, Lea Salonga and Lana Del Rey
as her influences.
Yuresh Balakrishnan acknowledged the competition from the start of
The Final 1 live auditions. “It feels amaz-
Many other things go
into the making of a good
musician, like having the
right musical thought process and most importantly,
to sing from the heart.
– Yuresh Balakrishnan
ing to be in a competition where the
talent is not in question. Ever since the
first top 60 round, everyone was clearly
talented and most (of them) already had
their taste in music.”
The 20-year-old Law & Management student immersed himself in music
while growing up and discovered different kinds of music when he started his
first year at Temasek Polytechnic.
When it comes to establishing his
musical individuality, Yuresh gives credit
to Damien Rice and British band The
Kooks.
“(It’s) pretty much a blend of folk,
alternative and soul music.”
Yuresh, who made it to the Top 11
says: “It’s not really enough to just be a
good vocalist. Many other things go into
the making of a good musician, like having the right musical thought process and
most importantly, to sing from the heart.”
Deciphering hard-core music
By: Darishini Thiyagarajan
F
ormed in 2012, the up-and-coming
local band, Decipher, is made up of
five close friends who share a keen
interest in music and songwriting.
“We jammed covers since we were
in secondary 4, but late last year, we realised that it was time to take things up a
notch and see if we can match ourselves
with the current local hard-core scene, or
even bring it to greater heights,” said the
band’s lead vocalist, Wira Satria.
The band, which hopes to impact
the local scene in a different way with a
combination of catchy choruses, hardhitting breakdowns and mind-blowing
intensity, has since released a debut single (From left) Ahmad Hedzir, Rafiuddin, Wira Satria, Kashif, Gary Doh Photo by: Asyraf Chazz
Beneath The Trenches.
The song, which chronicles the
band’s feelings and insights towards prejudice, has garnered rave reviews from their
growing fan base through social media
platforms.
“Well, my main inspiration for this
song was prejudice and the way many of
– Wira Satria (centre, photo above)
us disregard some people in our lives, eson his inspiration for his song Beneath The Trenches
pecially our family and friends.
In a competitive world/country we live in, it’s
not hard to upset others around us unknowingly,
and as a result we become our own enemies.
Designed and published by Diploma in Communications and Media Management students.
Designers: Muhd Hidayatullah, Elaine Tan, Charmine Ang, Gillian Lim, Vanessa Chin, Racy Lim
In a competitive world/country we
live in, it’s not hard to upset others around
us unknowingly, and as a result we become
our own enemies. The lyrics are pretty
much my emotions in ink!” said Wira, 18,
a second-year Communications and Media Management student.
Although Wira wrote the song, he
recognises that it had to be a joint effort
to make Decipher what it is now. After all,
the band name was not even his idea. So
what is the story behind Decipher?
“Funny story actually. Decipher was
something Kash, my drummer, blurted
out while we were having coffee one day
and well, I guess it stuck since!”
“But from my point of view, Decipher stood out because there are things in
my life that I felt needed answers to, and
I’m quite sure I’m not the only one who
feels this way. So hence, Decipher.”
Wira has some great news for Decipher fans: they will be heading to the
studio once more to record their second
song, The End Game, in June. “We’re
looking forward to some nice gigs coming
up and I guess we would be writing our
EP in early 2014, if all goes well!”
Stop Press PDF version:
www-bus.tp.edu.sg/bus_home/bus_aboutus/bus_publications.htm