Echoes 2010/11 by hall two publications

Editorial note

Cliché it may sound, but how time flies! In a blink of an eye, an eventful year in Hall 2 has almost come to an end! New friends have been found, and unforgettable memories have been forged. Some of us may carry on to live the Hall 2 life, but others such as the graduating seniors would be moving on to achieve the greater things in life. Throughout the year, the Publications team has been busily snapping away as you participated in the various events of Hall 2. As you enjoyed yourselves, we have worked hard to try and capture those special moments of your time. What you hold in your hands

Editorial Editors| Edward Liauw, Jocelyn Neo Contributors| 27th JCRC, Sports and Recreational Team Managers/Captains, Dinner & Dance, Orientation Main Committee, Hall Productions, Hall Dance, Cheerleading, JCRC Subcommers Design Cover| Sim Boon Long Layout | Edward Liauw | Jocelyn Neo Tay Xiang Yi Photographs

now is the laborious result of 27 JCRC’s effort at a compilation of your memories – ECHOES. A heartfelt “Thank You” goes out to all who have contributed in any way, making ECHOES possible. Not forgetting all of you who have participated in each event we have painstakingly planned – without you the events wouldn’t be a success. Sit back and enjoy the moment together with us reminiscing the past year …

Jocelyn & Edward 27th JCRC Publication Secretaries

Publications Subcomm, Team Managers/Captains, Wendy Tan, Wing Sing

Content Page 2 3 4 18 21 31 45 52 53 55

Hall Crest & Song Our History 27th JCRC Special Committees Events IHG Sports IHRG Recreational Team Photos JCRC Sub-Commers Awards

Hall Crest & Song Hall Two’s spirit living on It’s living far and far beyond It’s never gonna die It’s gonna live in each of us

Hall Two’s spirit flying high It’s flying far and far beyond It’s never gonna die It’s gonna live forever more

And we’ll keep it burning, burning And we’ll keep it burning, burning strong strong The flame of zest lights in us along The flame of zest lights in us all along Always inspiring us to go on Always inspiring us to go on

Spokes supporting the ring Close link and the spirit of camaraderie forged between the blocks

Lion Strength and Courage

Leaves Growth

Colors White, bright red and navy blue represents magnanimity, peace and harmony

Shield-shaped crest Upholds the virtues of the traditional Arthurian Knights Honor, Loyalty and Valor

Our History, Our Legacy Hall of Residence 2 was first established in 1957 on the grounds of Nanyang Technological University, which was previously known as Nantah. It was originally built to host students from NTU as well as NUS. However, as the enrolment increased over the years, the demand for accommodation steadily rose. Hall 2 eventually came to be occupied only by students from Nantah. Located right at the heart of the school campus, Hall 2 is a mere five minutes’ walk away from North Spine as well as the Sports Recreational Centre (SRC). It consists of 11 double-story blocks which house a total of 302 double rooms and 48 single rooms. The open, architectural style of the blocks ensures that residents enjoy bright and breezy rooms. Notably, our rooms are one of the most spacious in NTU and they are all furnished with built-in wardrobes, writing desks and shelves. Hall 2 is one of the two hostels in school to adopt the attached toilets system, where two rooms share a toilet, inclusive of sinks, a shower and a cubicle. This unique feature is highly prized among our residents as it provides additional privacy and convenience.

Laundry rooms, kitchenettes, readings rooms, music and dance rooms, as well as TV lounges are just some of the common facilities hostelites have at their doorstep here at Hall 2. Food lovers will be delighted to know that the Hall is well served by not one, but two canteens - Can 1 and Can 2. Students all over the campus flock to these exceedingly popular canteens as they offer a wide variety of affordable and delicious food. For sports fanatics, the SRC, boasting a swimming pool, running track, well-equipped gym and other facilities, sits just round the corner. Residents will also enjoy close proximity to the following amenities:  ATM Machine  Nanyang Supermart  Grocery store  Futsal Court  Volleyball Court  Hairdresser With its superb central location, spacious rooms and unparalleled amenities, Hall 2 never fails to be heavily oversubscribed year after year. Hall 2 is not just a hall; it is a home away from home.

Teo Yu Hao President Dear Hall Two-ians, I really hope that you have enjoyed yourself for the past one year in Hall 2 and I sincerely wish that we have made a difference and have given you a fulfilling campus experience, an experience which will bring sweet „echoes‟ to your heart when you reminisce of your university journey in NTU. This year has been an amazing year for Hall 2‟s participation in the Inter-Hall Competitions. Not only did our sports come in overall 1st runner, our recreational games made a great improvement since last year by clinching 9th position and we ended our IHG/IHRG season as overall 5th. Besides the games, our cheerleaders, the Awesomes, also gave us an exciting performance during Hall Olympiad Opening Ceremony, while our dancers, H2D, put up a creative dance which merged a love story into their delicate dance moves and clinched a commendable 4th spot in the Hall Olympiad Closing Ceremony. Though results are important, I strongly believe that at the end of the day what we can truly remember is the blood, sweat and tears we sacrificed through the months of trainings and also the close friendships that we have made through the course of this Hall Olympiad season. May I salute all of you, sports players, recreational game players, cheerleaders, dancers, JCRC subcommers and supporters alike! THREE CHEERS to all of YOU! HIP HIP HOORAY! As for those of you who have joined special committees, such as our Orientation Main Committee, Dinner and Dance Committee or Verve Productions, I would like to say a big thank you to all of you for working together hand in hand with us to make Hall 2 a more vibrant and exciting hall. Now that Verve Productions had entertained us with their fabulous show, TEN, at the Jubilee Theatre during the recess break. Lets JIAYOU together and I look forward to a smooth preparation for the upcoming Freshmen Orientation Camp and also Dinner and Dance, and may we be able to give a big warm hall 2 welcome to our incoming freshmen.

Next, I would like to thank our ever supportive Hall officer Albert Yu and Adeline Aw for always being there for us to offer their insightful advices and unconditional help. In addition, I would also like to thank our Senior hall fellow Prof Lam and hall fellows, Assoc Prof Teh, Assoc Prof Ricky Ang, Dr Tan and also Ms Li Fang for always taking their time off from their busy schedule to join us in our activities and also giving us the support needed to run our events. Beginning of my term, I talked about the hall 2‟s Kampong spirit which I admired and also my vision of creating a caring culture in hall 2. So this year, we took a step of faith and formed a new Ad-Hoc committee called, Hall 2 Hearts. This committee will engage in both local and overseas community involvement projects providing residents the chance to give back to the society. At the end of this semester, they will be embarking on their OCIP trip to Laos, and lets hope that this pioneer batch of Hall 2 Hearts will do us proud in Laos. What‟s more, this year we have also developed a brand new website to showcase Hall 2, so check us out

http://webx.ntu.edu.sg/hall2 Last but not the least, I would like to say a big thank you to my dear 27th JCRC, you guys are just amazing! I know this may sound cliché, but people talk about adding years to their lives, but you guys truly add life to my years in Hall 2! Thank you and thank you to each an every one of you, for listening to my nagging, laughing to my not-so-funny jokes, and simply just being the unique individuals you guys are! Keep on rocking and oh god, I know I‟m gonna to miss you guys!  Cheers, Yu Hao

My second year in JCRC has been nothing short of memorable. Hot off the heels of a fantastic orientation camp, those who were rerunning had to start forming the 27th. After many long nights and hard thought we had the final 16. I must say I am glad and impressed with the 27 th and what a long journey we have had! Being in JCRC for a second term allowed me to right the wrongs of the previous year and prevent any mistakes from being repeated. It provided me with a platform to mentor and guide the first years. Besides that I also have to attend to my own duties; handling internal affairs by taking charge of the block managers and also making sure the three Special Committees (OMC, DND and Hall Productions) are doing well. I am proud to say that each committee is truly special and has grown so much. I am also very please that the new initiative of Overseas Community Involvement Programme has come to fruition. And not to mention the LLRC who has added much colour and vibrancy to our Hall! Seeing the success of each event and the way residents‟ band together to support one another during IHG, Cheerleading and Dance made me realise what a special place Hall 2 is. Through it all, my greatest take away has to be learning from each and every person that I have come into contact with. I am forever grateful for having this opportunity to serve as your Vice President.

To the 27th, thank you for all the fun and laughter. When there‟s work to be done, you guys are always right at it. When it‟s time for fun, you guys do not slack off either! I think each of you has outperformed yourselves and I am proud to be part of this team. To 26th and OMC 10/11, thank you for giving me such a good experience in my first year that it made me want to go for a second term. To my Block Managers, thank you for all your help! You guys did a good job bridging the hall and JCRC. Without which, we will not have such a strong hall culture and tradition. To Albert, Adeline and Hall Office, a big thank you for always being so helpful and encouraging. Thank you for being such great friends. It is Hall 2‟s privilege to have you guys! To OMC 11/12, thank you for having me as an Ex-Official. I truly enjoy myself and I look forward to an awesome experience in Camp Ho-Hii! To all the residents of Hall 2, I hope you enjoy and treasure your stay in Hall 2! May the year that has passed be one of the best and I hope you will continue to make Hall 2 your choice of hall and your home away from home. Thank you.

Cher Jia Hui, Clement Vice President

Kong Jian Hao Honorary General Secretary

2010/2011 was another unforgettable year with back-to-back events right from the start of the academic year. Taking up the role of Honorary General Secretary in 27th JCRC was no easy feat. However, being granted the opportunity to serve the Hall for the

second time was indeed an enriching experience. The news of me becoming the Honorary General Secretary came as a shock to many as my recent predecessors were all females. I took up this role because I saw this as a learning experience to organise and manage administrative work. Administrative work might sound simple but it was really no joke when it comes to handling these duties. Despite taking up the portfolio, I felt the need and responsibility to guide the fresh junior portfolios in JCRC. This feeling was totally different as compared to the first year. I felt great being able to impart my knowledge and see improvement in our hall events and activities. Personally, I had paid much more attention on the Recreational Games Secretaries (Joshua and Yu Hui) especially. They had proved themselves and the effort they invested was definitely worth of the results. I was very proud of them, seeing that they had made tremendous progress in the Inter Hall Recreational Games. This journey was no easy ride as I struggled with my duties and academic work. I was very thankful to those who had supported me and assisted me in my duties. I really appreciated the help and concern from my predecessors (Siying and Canphylia). Both of you were always ready to lend me a helping hand. Accompanied with the Yu Hao (President), Clement (Vice President), Fawn (Financial Controller) and Eunice (Business Manager), we set off together on the same page and committed ourselves to build a strong JCRC. Despite the struggles, I really enjoyed working with you guys and I was very touched by all the patience you guys shown me throughout the year. To the whole 27th JCRC, thank you for adding colours in my university and hall life! I did not regret re-running for 27th JCRC. I know I never will. Yours sincerely, Kong Jian Hao Honorary General Secretary 27th JCRC

The year is almost gone in a blink of eyes. Rewind. The decision to re-run was not an easy feat. It‟s always about time, time, and more time. But at the end of the day, it all boils down to how well one can manage it. The journey was not as easy as it seems. Juggling studies and the different commitments at the same time has been a hell of a ride. To many, the job of a business manager may seem easy to collect items from sponsors and pack them (or so everyone, myself included, thought). But no, the job scope encompassed more than that. From the e-mailing of potential sponsors, to the liaising, and finally the confirmation of the sponsorship, it definitely was not as simple as it seemed initially. From the constant e-mails of rejection received, to the non-responsive recipients, it did get a little frustrating at times. However, I have learned a great deal from these little experiences of the corporate world. In addition, working with the other 16 business managers at the joint-hall level was a very refreshing experience for me, having served in a portfolio that did not require participation at joint-hall level. Also, being an ex-official to Hall Productions this year had allowed me to learn much. From the planning process to the execution and production of the play, they are experiences that one would not have been able to go through without being part of the committee. Finally, I‟m grateful to be given the chance to be part of the OCIP team, a chance for me to help the kids in Laos. The year is almost coming to an end, and before we wrap it up, I will like to extend my thanks to all who have been there for me. Firstly, I would like to thank my predecessor, Charissa, for her advice and help when I am in doubt. Secondly, a big thank you to my ever trustworthy sub-commers for your unconditional help. Thank you for being my „saikang‟ warriors, and for always being just a phone call/sms away. You have no idea how thankful I am to have each and every one of you. I could not have packed 600 goodies bag in a night without you guys, nor moved 4 100-plus board together with cartons of drinks without your muscles. Most importantly, all these events would not have been successful without you guys. In addition, many thanks to the friends who were there for me, for the help and advice given when I needed them most, and for being my pillars of support and strength. Finally, thank you Hall 2 residents, for your unwavering support for every single event, for they will not be successful without your presence.

Eunice Ngieng Business Manager

Finally, not forgetting the 27th JCRC, a big thank you to each and every one of you. Thanks for being part of this big family. You guys have been a bunch of energizer bunnies. Without all of you, late night meetings would have been real dreadful, and everything will be so different from how it is now. If given a chance to choose the committee again, I wouldn‟t have trade you guys for anyone else. Cause‟ you are special just the way you are, making the committee whole as it is now. Serving in JCRC for the past two years has definitely been one of the most wonderful and memorable experiences thus far. Love, Eunice Ngieng Business Manager 27th JCRC

My 2nd term as a Financial Controller with the 27th is now coming to an end and this journey was never the least smooth sailing. Being in charge of a new portfolio and taking on something completely different from my 1 st year as a Publication secretary was indeed overwhelming. Last year I was busy shooting pictures, designing, coming up with Echoes and this year was looking at accounts (all the numbers that literally made me $_$ and then X_X) and trying my best to expand our finances and working around them. My term started off with the planning of City Hike during this year‟s Camp Yeeha. My summer holidays were spent planning this and I really hope all the freshies did enjoy themselves during City Hike! Thank you Lawrence for your guidance and giving me this opportunity to plan this event as I really did learn a lot and pre-empted me for what was ahead of me. Then, I officially took over the role as a financial controller. Finance matters are always very sensitive and of course extremely important in making our events successful. It might not show but much effort is needed for all the budgeting and constant monitoring of our finances to ensure everything is in place. At the end of the day, I try my best to fulfil everything within my means as it is my duty and responsibility to make sure that everyone gets their money back efficiently. My term as a financial controller has indeed taught me a lot. With my predecessor, Royston away on exchange, it was hard for me to turn to him and seek help when I faced difficulties. I had no choice but to bother the people over at SAO. I made countless trips to SAO and bugged them when I was unsure and needed help. Also, with new financial procedures in place, I found myself with a lot of difficulties during the first few months of my term and claims for reimbursements were really slow. Nevertheless, I like to thank the patience and understanding I got from SAO and my committee members for the inefficiency at times.

Fawn Cher Financial Controller

Thank you 27th for being so prompt with the receipts, working within your budgets and listening to me going on about “no money already, no money already”  and our subcommittees as well for being so patient when the claims take a bit of time. Also, the special committees for being so cooperative with the finance matters as well. Thank you all for your help and support! :D The 27th as well as the special committees have put in much effort in organising numerous events this whole year. I thank all the residents for being a part of them and supporting us in our events. If the 27th have not performed up to standard in any ways, I‟m sure we will learn from our mistakes and come back even better! So, do look out for our events during the upcoming orientation camp as well.

With that, I‟ll like to thank everyone for making my journey these 2 years so enjoyable and enriching. These will be the fond memories I‟ll be taking back with (: Thank you. Cher Jia Wei Fawn 27th JCRC Financial Controller

Edward Liauw & Jocelyn Neo Publications Secs From the day we were voted into the 27th Junior Common Room Committee as Publication Secretaries, we knew that the 1 year journey ahead of us was not going to be an easy one, and it did turn tougher than expected. Although we did not have events of our own, but in fact, every Hall event held throughout the year was our event, be it Hall Olympiad, Night Cycling, Ice cream Festivals or Wing supper. This is because not only do we have publicise the events beforehand, take photographs during the event, we also have to do the follow up of the various events such as uploading of photos. We can proudly say that we manage to survive the arduous and gruelling journey and bring away with us the wonderful and precious experiences we had gained throughout our term. Being the Publication Secretaries, we always had to ensure that each and everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x;s smile and the success of each and every event was captured in our photos and videos, freezing the fun and laughter we spent together throughout the year and keeping them as our memories. Also, during the Hall Olympiad period, planning and updating of the photographers schedule was tough, but we are glad we managed to overcome the difficulties and problems in between and everything proceeded smoothly. We believed without the help of the people around us, we would not be able to capture every single moment of the events so successfully. First of all, special thanks to our upper study, Fawn, for guiding us along the way and giving us constant advice, suggestions and reminders throughout our term regarding publications related stuff. Not forgetting the 27th JCRC, the help and support was much appreciated and none of that would have been possible without you guys. Most importantly, we would not have made it through without the help of our dearest subcommers. Being subcommers of our portfolio, I believe the year was rather tough for you guys too, so really appreciate the time and effort you guys committed in supporting us in all Publication duties. From lending us your camera, helping us take photos and videos, helping us to edit and come up with videos, helping us to decorate and update the noticeboards outside Canteen 2, all these that you guys had done really touched our heart. Especially during the Hall Olympiad period, not only did you guys sacrificed your weekends and holidays, you all also have to endure the super long messages we sent out and getting you guys down on a super short notice, without the 15 of you, we would not have been able to accomplished anything. Really love you guys a lot and we treasure the friendship forged between us! Thank you!

Daryl Lim

The IHG 10/11 season maybe well be remembered as a season for redemption. On the back of a sorely disappointing 4th placed finish in sports last year, we were determined to push ourselves hard in order to regain our reputation as a traditional sporting powerhouse. Trainings for this year‟s IHG began in earnest as early as the second week of semester one as the managers and captains of all the sports were briefed on Hall 2‟s target for this year, which was to achieve a top 3 finish. Not only did we achieve that target at the end of the season, we managed to finish as 1 st Runner Up. The anticipated tight race for the 1st Runner Up spot with Hall 6 had an anticlimactic finish after a flurry of strong results in the final week of the games secured our place with comfortable ease. We achieved 4 Golds and 6 Silvers overall, putting us in a whopping 10 Finals out of 20 sports. These results would not have been possible had it not been for the efforts of all the players who came down for the trainings and pushing themselves to their limits during the games. For that, this short report would be insufficient to express the amount of gratitude and respect we have for all of you. The Hockey girls might just be the most unlucky team in Hall 2 history. To go out on penalties is extremely unfortunate, to go out on penalties for 2 consecutive seasons is downright unfair. Our hearts go out to the girls. As we all like to say, 3rd time lucky! So heads up girls, we will come back stronger and hopefully luckier next year! The Table tennis team started the season well enough with a win but were unable to proceed further than the preliminaries. Our Basketball girls were unfortunately disqualified as fielded a returning exchange student which was later deemed to be illegal by the committee. We would like to apologise both to the girls and to the Hall for overlooking that rule. Let us put this setback behind us and bring Hall 2 Basketball girls back to the glory days next season. Our Hockey guys managed a slight improve on last year‟s disappointing prelims exit by qualifying for the quarters. However, as luck will have it, we were drawn against the mighty Hall 3. Despite playing with great vigour and team spirit, the team had no answer to the individual talent that the opponents possess in their state players. We have extremely

high hopes for our hockey guys next year, with majority of the team made out of freshies who have just picked up the sport. Hopefully with one season‟s experience under their belts, we will go further next year! Our Takraw boys managed to defy the odds by beating Hall 6‟s gravity-defying, somersaulting boys to proceed once again to the quarters. And once again, we met our stumbling block at there. A disappointing performance from the guys resulted a loss to Hall 5. Soccer had a disappointing season as well, the high standards set by our soccer guys means that a quarters exit is extremely disappointing. The team looked destined for greater things, scoring 15 goals in the first 2 matches. We then went up against eventual champions Hall 3 in the quarters and gave them evidently their hardest match of their season when we took the lead twice but eventually losing 3-2. Our Softball guys were next in line to befall the curse of the ballot by drawing Hall 3 yet again in the quarters. Despite facing seemingly insurmountable odds against a team that is heads and shoulders above any other hall in IHG softball, the guys entered the match determined to give our best and the defending champions a run for their money. Lost, as we inevitably did, but the guys ended the game with our heads held high. Our Netballers started the season strongly with a trashing of Hall 4. A loss to eventual finalist Hall 12 meant that the girls were forced to play a third game against Hall 8 for a place in the quarters. The girls proceeded to overrun the opponents and book their place in the quarters. Alas, we were drawn against Hall 3 YET AGAIN! And boy did the girls give last year‟s losing finalist a good run for their money by ending the first quarter with a commanding lead. However, the strength in depth of the opposition meant that they could bring on fresh shooters to capitalise on our fast tiring girls who were forced to the entire game. Our tennis team proved this season that miracles really do happen. We were 2 points away from a preliminary round exit when our game against Hall 13 was halted due to unforeseen circumstances. Needing nothing short of a miracle to qualify, as the game was to be continued from the point of stoppage. Our male doubles consisting of Yuankai and Yi Hong managed to come back from being

Alvin Chin

down 5 set to 3 and trailing 30-0 to eventually beating the opponents. The reality of the miracle that has just occurred had little time to set in as the team was to play their quarters match immediately. Up against top seed Hall 11, things did not look good. However, with sheer determination and grit, our tennis team managed to overcome their opponents and within the space of one night, we went from being 2 points away from a preliminary exit to a semi-finalist. The miracles do not stop there. Our hall‟s MVP Si Ying somehow managed to beat an IVP tennis player at her own game in the semi-finals against Hall 6. Despite her heroics, the team lost out narrowly with a score of 3-2. An extremely commendable effort from the tennis team. Our Softball girls made a fairytale journey to the semis this season. Proving everyone, including themselves wrong, they went from whipping dogs in the previous season to serious title contenders this year. Beating softball powerhouse Hall 7 en route to the semis, the girls showed everyone how far a hard work and team spirit can bring a team. The softball girl‟s fairytale did not end with the semi-final exit to Hall 12, the journey for Hall 2‟s Softball girls‟ team has only just began. Hall 2 Rugby made a comeback in IHG this year after a cameo appearance in the prelims last year. Blitzing our way pass the prelims with convincing victories over Hall 12 and Hall 11. An unfortunate walkover meant that we were given a free ride into the semis. A mouth-watering tie against arch rivals Hall 6 beckoned. The combination of a strong forward line and powerful back line meant that we emerged comfortable winners against Hall 6. The finals against Hall 3 ended in a heartbreaking defeat but the rugby team can be extremely proud for restoring Hall 2‟s reputation as a rugby powerhouse. Volleyball Male breezed their way into the finals with comfortable victories in the prelims quarters and semis. Breaking our losing streak to Hall 3 along the way. GOOD JOB BOYS! The team lost out in the finals to Hall 5 as they were unable to recover from a slow start in the first set. The Track team, boasting the fastest quartet of girls over 4by100 and 4by400 in IHG finished as 1st Runner Up

Sports Secs

Overall. Road Relay had a fruitful year as we finished 1 st Runner Up as well. Kudos to Mark and Parthi for the extreme training schedule that allowed for the runners to achieve such a good result. This year, Hall 2 also fared very well in water sports. The Swimming Team which comprised of the fastest group of freestylers the IHG has ever seen having led the next team for the 4by50 event by only about 6 seconds. The strength of the team was in itself, clearly enough to ensure that the team obtained at least a 2nd placing, with only Hall 3 strong enough to be an obstacle to us. The team fought brave and hard and put up a good fight but were sadly unable to outdo the defending champions and eventually lost to them on nerves and technicality. The Water-polo Team finally broke their 3-year drought of getting knocked-out in the semi-finals this year when we were drawn against Hall 6. Having breezed through the prelims and quarters, the game against hall 6 proved to be one of considerable challenge to the team as we were competing on a whole new level of skill and playing field. Our team did well to knock hall 6 out to proceed to the final showdown with our arch-rivals - Hall 3. The team disregarded the fact that we were the under-dogs and played the game as if their life depended on it. The sheer determination and drive of the team was strong enough to subdue most of their key players whose individual strength would have easily allowed them to “devour” us. Sadly, our team lost in the end. We lost however, not in fighting spirit, not in perseverance, but only to the experience which the other team had. The Male Basketball team, dubbed the “Redemption Team” came into this IHG season with only one thing in mind, and that is to redeem themselves for the heartbreaking semi-final defeat to Hall 10 the year before. Despite being weaker on paper, this year‟s team was more determined, more bonded and trained a whole lot more than last year‟s team. These factors came to fore when we went up against Hall 6 in the semis. Despite being even in terms of talent, the team displayed extreme discipline and teamwork and

proceed to comfortably brush aside their opponent. A date with Hall 10 in the finals meant that the date for redemption was set. The team displayed yet again why they have the best defence in IHG basketball by holding the opponents down to a single digit score line in the first quarter. The momentum carried on to the rest of the game and with the final whistle, the redemption was complete. Hall 2 is finally IHG Basketball Champions. Our Volleyball Girls defended their title albeit with a few nervous moments along the way when they took their time to get into the game and lost the first set for their games in the prelims and semis. The finals proved to be their toughest match as they went up against Hall 14, a team made up entirely of former school team players with immense experience. Our girls where nonetheless unimpressed and finished the season strongly with a 3-1 victory and the title once again. Our ever dependable Squash team brought us to the Finals once again, providing us with some great games along the way. The semis was a match against Hall 1, a team we lost to in the prelims. However, with a marked improvement in an extremely short period of time, Huaming was able to overcome the same adversary convincingly to bring us to the finals once again. Once again, the decider was down to Huaming‟s game. With the entire hall‟s support behind him, Huaming did not disappoint and smashed his way to victory with a score of 3-0 to bring the crown back to Hall 2. Our last Gold medal came from the Badminton team. With half the team made up of graduating seniors, they were determined to leave Hall 2 with the best present they could think of and that is the IHG Badminton crown. Hardly breaking a sweat en route to the finals, we comfortably beat great rivals Hall 3 4-1 in the finals.

It was indeed an honour to be trusted with the responsibilities of the Recreational Secretaries. We vividly recollected the scene at the mass rally when dear Mr Chia Yee Han asked the question we badly dreaded, “I‟m sure you have heard about our Rec position for last year. How can you assure us that we will not get a perfect 10 again this year? ”. Putting on a confident front, we replied “There is only one way and that is UP!” However frankly, how confident could we possibly be when both of us were freshies who were new to hall life and the intricacies of the recreational games? While it was an irony that the Recreational secretaries were lacking in aptitude and experience, we drew our strength from our passion for the hall and our optimism. Slowly, we worked from

This is a roundup of the results from all the sports: Basketball (M) Champions Badminton Champions Volleyball (F) Champions Squash Champions Rugby 1st Runner Up Volleyball (M) 1st Runner Up Swimming 1st Runner Up Waterpolo 1st Runner Up Track 1st Runner Up Road relay 1st Runner Up Tennis Semi-Finalist Softball (F) Semi-Finalist Hockey (M) Quarter-Finalist Soccer Quarter-Finalist Sepak Takraw Quarter-Finalist Softball (M) Quarter-Finalist Netball Quarter-Finalist Basketball (F) Preliminary Hockey (F) Preliminary Table tennis Preliminary Last but not least, we would like to thank everyone in Hall 2 for giving us your support in making IHG a success. The results we have achieved would not have been possible if not for everyone single one of you. Let‟s work together and bring Hall 2 to greater heights next year!!

there. Since then, we head hunted players with much effort, attempting to uncover the hidden talents and black diamonds in Hall 2. We utilized hall 2‟s various communication channels (coordination with our Publicity Secretaries) for the publicity of our recruitment. Other strategies included events such the Sport and Recreational Day (a JCRC event) and our Recreational open house (painstakingly planned by the seniors). The collective effort from various groups of people in the hall facilitated the challenging recruitment process. Scouring for players was merely one of our tasks. There were so much we had to learn and do, but very quickly, time was running out against us. Soon we discovered that IH was approaching.

The wave of crazy hectic-ness then starts. Meetings, events and everything seemed to clash suddenly. Some of the games, weeks before the competition, were still looking for players. The competition quickly came and everyday in the month of January, our players competed intensively against players from other halls. To be honest, convening Snooker was definitely a challenge. The success of convening the game would be impossible without the help of all the diligent umpires and chief umpire, Song Teck. We are more than grateful to have them around. While they understood that umpiring for snooker was not part of their obligations, they still came selflessly, out of concern and friendship. Umpiring for snooker stretched for long hours, dawn to dusk. The evidence of this demanding process was exactly when our umpires

Joshua Lim & Tay Yu Hui Recreation Secs umpires transformed from novices to experts the game play. They are the one that had made the 4 seemingly extremely long days manageable.

studies Jianhao and Shiying. Their guidance played a crucial part in allowing us to forge our very own Hall 2 Recreational Team.

With a mix of losses and wins, the inter- We would also like to extend our hall recreational games ended before we utmost gratitude to our dedicated team realized it. managers and captain for their initiative in strategizing on the games and for Truthfully, there were more that we training the players. Motivated and could have done for our recreational driven, they put in great efforts in teams. We could have publicized more planning and coordinating the trainings. strongly for the recreational games, we Their passions for their games were could have spent more effort and time truly inspiring. The late night trainings picking up the games, we could have everyday in the recreational room, the pushed for more trainings and crazy secret manuals or ten years series organized inter-hall friendly matches and the weekly go-out-of-school-forright from the startâ&#x20AC;Ś the list goes on external-trainings clearly demonstrated with non-exhaustive we could haves. But our point. Many thanks also go to the we are not repenting here. We hope to players, who spent a great deal of their emphasize to the reader that the time time training ceaselessly. Sacrificing we have in hall each year is short. There their holidays for extra drilling, our is so much we could have done, but so dedicated players little time. Therefore, residents should trained into the wee hours of the night do as they wish and not look back in as they strived to perfect their accuracy, regret! (Especially as we all understand skills and tactics. Without their pure the harsh reality of no-guaranteed-stay, determination, sheer hard work and the reason to do so is even more commitment, we would not have compelling). achieved much especially as we did not have any recreational backgrounds to Our inter-hall Recreational games begin with. experience would have been tougher if not for seniors who patiently guided and Our gratitude does not end there! We assisted us. They were the ones who cannot thank our favourite JCRC knew the systems, the games and the IH people enough! The support and best. Despite their knowledge, they concern shown was AMAZING. Every never once questioned us or imposed little action adds up, and these sincere their seniority upon us. We always had gestures are what, in our opinion, the freedom to explore and experiment. defines the JCRC spirit. Although we sometimes suspect that they could have thought of more Now as the academic year is coming to efficient ways of doing things right from an end, we are proud to have kept our the start, we believed they had not promise to the residents by not pushed for their methods because they repeating history. Also, we proudly wanted us to have our own learning made an improvement of 7 spots to be experiences. It is always heart-warming the 9th position among all 16 halls. We to know that the seniors helped so emerged as semi-finalists for Snooker passionately even though they had no and Chinese Chess and quarter-finalists obligations to! Also, we are extremely for Weiqi, Contract Bridge and thankful to have our wonderful upper International Chess.

We are equally proud of the other recreational games which have put up a tough fight and put in commendable efforts. The experiences gained from this competition will definitely provide precious insights for the next inter-hall games. It was indeed satisfying to see Hall 2â&#x20AC;&#x;s recreation ranking improve, but we have to stress that, as the Recreational Secretaries, we merely facilitated this process. Success was largely attributed to the recreational players who trained tirelessly. Despite the continual contribution we made to the hall, we were in fact the biggest beneficiary. For everyone who was involved in IHRG this year, we hope that your passion for the Recreational Games stay aflame. And for those who have yet to discover this burning passion, we are sure youâ&#x20AC;&#x;ll to find it in the seasons to come. Thank you everyone! Joshua and Yuhui

Fong Yee Hsu Cultural Sec

Throughout this whole year as the cultural secretary, people always ask me why I took up this post. Although some may find it hard to belief, amidst the jokes that crack and the outgoing person that I am, I am really passionate about cultural activities such as dance and music. As such, I was driven by this passion to help to boost the cultural scene within Hall 2. Since the first day that I was nominated to be the cultural

secretary, I knew that it was going to be a very tough journey ahead and it definitely turned out to be what I expected. Although it was tough, it has added plenty of colours to my hall experience as a cultural secretary. The most fulfilling experience for me would be organising events for the residents. One of such events would be Hall 2 Got Talent. I would never forget the hours of preparation churning out proposals, writing emails, holding meetings etc. During that week of the event, I could vividly remember that I was so worried that I would just stare at my computer just running through what are the things

was much more smooth-sailing than I expected and I have never felt so relieved before. How can I forget about the bonds I forged with the JCRC family? I have got to say that this bunch of people that I have worked with for the past year has really become great friends. In times of trouble, they are always there to lend a helping hand. In times of sadness, they are always there to lend a listening ear. In times of happiness, they are always there to share the joy. I really feel honoured to have worked with them and i foresee we will remain awesome friends even after our time in NTU. Cheers!

Elizabeth Poh Welfare that might turn out wrong on the day. Fortunately, the event

Given the chance to be the 27th welfare sec was probably the best thing that happened to me in NTU so far. The experiences when organising the ice cream fests and during IHG as well as the friendships made was what made hall so wonderful for me. From helping out with welfare during the events like night cycling to organising

Koh Ping Fang Publicity Sec It has been a fun experience serving Hall 2 as Publicity Secretary for the past year. It always brings me great fulfillment when the posters or banners are displayed all around hall, adding much vigor and life into the hall. And of course, when a fellow hall resident walks around wearing a shirt I designed, the unspoken bond simply makes me feel more attached to the hall. I took up this portfolio with much hesitation because afterall, I had near zero experience in this field. However, throughout the year, I learnt so much about the job. Designs, paint, canvas, printing; I have almost become an expert in them xP The process was enjoyable and at times even therapeutic (especially for painting), but highly

cumbersome and time consuming. Apologies go out to the six sports who attained 1st runners up position for IHG. After hanging the championship banners, there was an urge to add the six other banners to display the true competency of our hall. All of you deserved to be recognized but I am sorry that it can‟t be in the form of a banner, due to time constraints. Nevertheless, you guys will still be champions in our hearts :D Throughout this period, I received so much help from my subcommers and other helpful souls for coming down to help me to paint for long periods and getting paint stains all over their bodies and clothes. Special thanks to Alvin Chin and Potter Peh for erecting the structure outside Block 1. Everytime you take the bus and pass by the Hall 2 FOR

THE WIN banner, take a moment to remember and appreciate their hard work for an entire day. Not forgetting my dearest committee who loves to shoot arrows at me for work, but whom I love nonetheless for their constant support and the crazy personalities. Looking at the countless unwashable paint stains on my hands and legs never made me regret taking up this opportunity to serve the hall. These marks are temporary, but the memories and lessons are eternal. I  YOU HALL 2 (:

I couldn‟t have done it without you all! You guys took time out during your holidays, evenings and weekends to help with welfare when you could have spent the time going out/home or studying for our many assignments and tests. I really appreciate it! Especially to Ming Qin, Xiao Hua, Hui Ting, Zi Hao, Huaili, Johnson, Kai Heng, you guys were always there when I couldn‟t find enough people! To Mel Lek, thank you so much upperstudy! For always clearing my doubts and giving advice whenever I was not sure about welfare stuff. To the 27th JCRC, thank you all so much for making JCRC so fun! All the late night meetings, overseas trip, IHG, events planning and the events themselves! To Yu Hao and Clement, thank you so much for all your advice and for answering my many questions. I know I really bug you guys a lot! Fawn, thanks for helping me keep track of my money, if not they would have all disappeared. And sorry when I keep exceeding that $200 limit! Jian Hao, thanks for all the last minute booking of the JCRC room. Ngieng, thank you for guiding me when JCRC first started! I was so clueless and didn‟t know what to do. To the Sports and Rec secs, Alvin Chin, Daryl, Joshua and Yu Hui, thank you all so very much for covering my ass when I couldn‟t settle welfare during IHG! Ping Fang, thank you for the posters! Jocelyn and Edward, thanks for the door tag and for stressing about IH together when we couldn‟t find subcommers. Alwin, Hann Bin and Yee Hsu, thank you! I think I learn a lot from you all after helping with welfare for your events. There were times when I felt maybe I shouldn‟t have joined JCRC. There were so many other things that I could have invested more time in, like my studies, my family and friends and of course, joining hall dance. However, without JCRC, I don‟t think hall life would have been as fulfilling for me. All the learning experiences and stressful situations, and also d uring exams and the IH period when I see your faces almost every day. You all are literally like my second family, always being there for me and helping me out. I love you all a lot a lot!

Soon, we would all be a year older. A year closer to graduation. A year closer to the working world. Gone were the days where we had to „just‟ go to school, take our attendance, blank through the first ¾ of a year and study to promote. Yes, growing up is a sad reality of life. But boy, when I look back, I know I would have awesome memories of my first year in varsity. Being in a committee is never easy. Being in a student committee is even harder. On one hand, you got to juggle your studies, on the other, you got to carry out your duties as part of that committee. And on the third hand, you got to juggle your personal friendships and your own life. Busy is just not the word for it. But fulfilling? Hell yes. I would think that running for social secretary is often a non-glamour job. You go around quietly doing your work, planning your events, and executing them. At the end of the day, you don‟t get any cash or rewards. But what really drives me on, is the smiles on the faces of my peers. The sight of seeing everyone so bonded within their committees and neighbors. We all come NTU for our own reasons, but I‟m sure one of them would be to enjoy what no other uni can bring to you, a hall life that is fulfilling, fun and filled with events. In that aspect, I hope as one 27 th JCRC, we have achieved and reached your expectations, and that we have given you one whole year‟s worth of satisfaction. Of course, my passion in being a social sect would never be satisfied without the help of my faithful subcom. To the Hisdom guys who have always offered a helping hand in times of need, I thank you. To the dispersed group of friends that were always there in times of need, I owe you this shout of thanks. Tireless they worked while everyone was having fun; they came earlier to set up and later to clear up just to make the event successful. I could never do without you guys. Lastly, and most importantly, is of course 27 th JCRC. Our time has came and passed. But it is not the dates that matter, but the dash in-between that forever holds our story. The memories we share will forever be etched deeply into my heart, and may our tale stay forever with us. We have set out to under-promise and over-deliver, and there is no greater measure of that than compare what we were before and what we are now. No one will know the stormy seas we fought through, but also, no one will see the rainbow like we have. Definitely, everything wouldn‟t be possible without the leadership of Yu Hao and Clement. Without your vision and leadership, we wouldn‟t be where we are now. To all residents, I hope you have a fun-filled and fulfilling year in hall 2. Thank you.

Social Secs Alwin Tan & Lim Hann Bin

Orientation Main Committee 10/11

“Its time for Camp Yeehaa!” Hall 2’s annual bombastic freshmen orientation camp was held this year during late August 2010. As 2010 was the year Youth Olympic Games were held in Singapore/NTU, our legendary FOC has to be held outside of our beloved hall grounds. Nonetheless, Hall 2 OMC, together with the seniors of hall 2, carried out the camp with the same unsurpassed fervor and enthusiasm, and touched each freshie’s heart with the grand spirit of hall 2. I am sure each and every freshies walked away from the camp, with tons of happy memories, and into the big family of hall 2. FOC is the time where freshies and seniors alike, come together and erupt in an unfathomable amount of fun. It is also a time where great memories are created, friendships are forged, and common experiences are shared. One of these great memories would be the sights, smells, and sounds of our Flavours of Camp Yeehaa. Stuck in a confined area, shoulder to shoulder with each other, and constantly being ‘seasoned’ by various food flavourings would definitely be something one cannot easily forget. Another such memory would be the spooky and eerie setting of the now abandoned SAF Keat Hong Camp, which was the site of our ghostwalk. The screams and tears of freshies have certainly made the day for those who dressed up as ghosts. Amongst all these activities, were our hall 2 traditional games. Being an old hall in NTU, hall 2 is proud of its wonderful traditions, and many of those are carried out in the camp. One such activity would be our traditional field games. Each year, male freshie’s and seniors alike, band together arm in arm like brothers to brave and defy the brutal advances of their female counterpart, who sought to break up our manly bro-hood. It is a special thing that all hall 2 males share, and this year once again, we have proven ourselves worthy of the bro-code, as many of us held on to each other and manage to stay together. For those unfortunate enough to be preyed upon by the hungry females, our sincerest condolences goes out to you and we will not forget you. Another of our traditional activities would be the ‘Catfight’, held at the Sentosa’s Palawan Beach. Affectionately known as such, it derives its name from being an activity where the female freshies and seniors engage in a battle to the death with each other. Held sturdily on the shoulders by the macho males of hall 2, our girls display their viciousness and ferocity by trying to topple each other and emerge victorious. As with every year, the CGLs of Camp Yeehaa performed 2 electrifying dances (the strip and fire dances). The CGLs have been training up their bodies and polishing up their hot dance moves for most part of the holidays. Seeing how the freshies were charmed and swayed, it is clear that their hard work paid off. Special thanks to Zhengwen and Xingwei, who were Ex-CGLs themselves, for choreographing and training the CGLs for firedance, and also Jocelyn for once again, taking up the mantle and to teach the CGLs for strip dance. Along with firedance which was held on Camp fire night, was the memorable ‘Cheer Fight’. Each and every freshie was screaming and shouting at the top of their voices to clinch the title of cheer fight champion. It was also amusing to hear all the creative cheers that freshies come up with to impress our chairperson, Yeehan, who was the judge of the event. Congratulations to Hisdom for emerging cheerfight champion that night. All good things come to an end, and Camp Yeehaa was no different. After an exciting and exhilarating Amazing Race round Singapore, the camp gathered at the ending point Ayer Rajah Japanese Association Field, for the initiation into Hall 2 conducted by the 26th JCRC. Although freshies are put through a series of physical demanding activities, the seniors were always within reach, always ready to put on an extra t-shirt for those freshies who were feeling cold, and keeping them entertained and not fall asleep. At the end of it, after an explosive and fiery ceremony, the freshies were now proud residents of hall 2. It was a heart-warming sight to see the throngs of seniors turning up for camp, especially those who have already graduated and started working. Your tireless effort can be felt throughout all the aspects of camp, be it the carrying out of games, setting up of various locations and sets, or the showering of welfare foods and drinks to the freshmen. It is all these little gestures that have left a deep mark in all our hearts. I guess, this would be the real spirit of hall 2, no matter where you are or what you become, there’s always a part of you back here in hall. Thank You!

VERVEPRODUCTI ONS

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Dinner & Dance Committee 10/11

2010

saw

another successful Dinner and Dance carried out successfully by the hallâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s D&D committee!

Another round of excellent choreography on the part of both dance instructors as well as catwalk instructors brought out all the pizzazz inherent in each and every contestant that night!

Preparations and hard work the contestants put in sprinkled with fun moments throughout the month long journey ensured it was an experience they would not soon forget!

Hall 2 Dance By Fong Yee Hsu We came to win, to fly, to conquer, to survive… Those were the lyrics in our opening song and how apt it was as it chronicled our entire journey from the start of our practice for HOCC in late-January to the competition day on 10 March 2011.

clean and sharpen our moves. It was not easy for some of us to get the intricate choreography which required a lot of technique but we did. Many stayed behind even after practice officially ended to train more on their own or helped others nail a particular choreography. After the competition, it was an extremely touching moment to view the final performance on

Although we did not win first, we were all winners in our own

film together as a crew. Those 6 minutes on stage was not just

right already. Firstly, we flew way past our own expectations.

a culmination of a month’s plus of hard work but for some of us,

This year, we started training intensively only in late January

it also signified the conquest of our own personal barriers as

due to the change in timetable because of YOG. This effectively,

new dancers.

left us only with a month or so before the competition. Besides the choreography being a lot tougher than last year’s, a lot of us came in totally new to dance. We were definitely not confident of maintaining our 4th position last year at first. However, nearing the end of the competition, everyone showed

We survived this H2D! I’m really proud of all of us for putting in so much effort, staying till 2, 3am at HSS just to clean steps and practice! A lot of us came in as non-dancers but now I can really say that all of us are.

tremendous improvement since they started and to get 4th placing again this year is a feat that we are really proud of.

Hall Overseas Trip By Alvin Chin

This year’s overseas trip was a resounding success that almost did not happen. Due to the delays in the IHG schedule as a result of YOG, we were unable to go for our overseas trip during the usual term break in December. Fortunately for everyone of us, we were able to arrange the trip for the first weekend of recess week in Sem 2. After going through a few destinations Bintan was finally decided as the destination of choice. I am sure the trip came as a much needed respite after the rigorous IHG season and first half of Sem 2.

Since many of us are new dancers, we all had to work harder to remember the choreography, get the timing right and finally

A senior of mine once told us that a dancer is defined by his heart and work ethics. You guys truly emerged as dancers at the end of this because I can see the passion you have for dance and the amount of hard work you have put into this competition. Lastly, I would like to thank the 27th JCRC for their undying support and coming to support us during the last few and most difficult nights before the competition. A big, big shoutout especially to Yee Hsu our Cultural Secretary, Clement our VicePresident and Elizabeth our Welfare Secretary, for providing us with tons of welfare (drinks and supper) during our practices. To all the cultural subcomm members who made that HUGE mirror which was essential to our routine, you guys are really dope! And to all Hall 2 residents who told us to jiayou, we love you! Keep dancing! =)

3D2Ns of beach games, excessive exposure to the sun and possibly radioactive smog from Fukushima gave everyone who attended the trip an excellent chance to bond as a hall and also to take a break off school. I hope everyone had enjoyed themselves and I am thoroughly excited at the prospect of going on the next trip overseas with the Hall. Special thanks to Eunice Karina, who literally planned everything for the trip on her own. The trip would not have been possible with you. So thank you ď &#x160;

Ice Cream Fest By Elizabeth Poh Ice cream fest is an event where free ice cream was given out

To the teams, thank you for participating even though I know

to all residents when the exams were coming, to serve as an

it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t exactly a very wonderful or delicious experience for

exam de-stresser to everyone. The event was naturally a

some of you. Too much ice cream can actually be disgusting

success as who would reject free ice cream and goody bags?

for once. Haha!

This year, we continued with the Gobble-like-a-monster

Also, a big thank you to my subcommers for helping me run

Challenge where 5 groups of 3 competed to see which team

the event if not the residents would have no ice cream! Thank

could finish 20 scoops of ice cream the fastest! It was much

you for helping with the scooping of ice cream, giving out of

fun seeing the different teams shoving the ice cream and

toppings, moving and setting up of tables and also the crowd

toppings into their mouths and spilling it all over. It definitely

control. 27th JCRC, thank you very much also! Yu Hao, for my

brought a lot of joy to the teams and the audience.

endless questions. Clement, for your spotlights and helping me

take

note

the

small

details.

Cheerleading By Lim Hann Bin Building on last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hype, Hall 2 Awesomes Cheerleading

The past few weeks before HOOC was hell for us! Training till

team decided to turn up the heat in this year Hall Olympiad

the wee hours, sacrificing time with our loved ones and for

Opening Ceremony Cheerleading Competition. Packed with

some, less time to study for their tests. Through all these

more powerful and impactful stunts, we decided to up our

trainings though we learnt that we have grown stronger as a

standards to try for a higher level of stunts. The energy

team and that the future ahead of us is bright. Special kudos

present in the routine was A-W-E-S-O-M-E. The crowd was

to Coach Ben and Coach Lynn for coming down to help us for

cheering their hearts out for us and we felt the need to just

our routine. The efforts they have put in to train us cannot be

put on a good show. Even though we came in last, we

left unseen. They have done a fantastic job in bringing life into

thoroughly enjoyed the routine and at the end of the day we

our routine, merging our fun loving culture within our routine.

knew we had done our best.

Jian Hao, for the moving of tables. Alwin, for your awesome music that helped up the atmosphere and for the 100 scoops of ice cream for the challenge! Yee Hsu, for the awesome emceeing throughout the event and helping to control the crowd. Ping Fang, for designing the whiteboard on the spot and also the pretty pretty poster! Edward and Jocelyn for the photos! Ngieng, for your goody bags that helped draw people to the event. And also to everyone else who helped with the setting up and cleaning up. Not forgetting the people who turned up for the event, thank you very much if not it wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have been a success!

Although we suffered many setbacks in our course to HOOC, we stood by each other and helped one another up. We are more inspired to train up for the next HOOC. WE WILL COME BACK STRONGER, FASTER, BETTER, HALL 2 FTW!

Night Cycling By Alwin Tan Hall 2 晚 to cycle! This year’s night cycling was distinctively different compared to other years. In terms of both length and route, this year’s night cycling offered more flexibility to the different abilities of the cyclists. Instead of travelling to the often visited east, we decided to unravel the mysteries of the North. Travelling through the emergency aeroplane landing point at Old Choa Chu Kang route, we ventured through Kranji, passing by the only knight in Singapore, Knight Sir Fari(i saw this on twitter don’t kill me) and Mandai Zoo, before meeting the beautiful sunrise at Khatib Dam. Of course, along the way, we wouldn’t have moved as efficiently without the constant energy boosts the welfare mama has prepared for us. A few things that excite those taste buds are ah lian’s bee hoon, ice cream, and of course the gorgeous red bull girls with that sexy mini cooper. Of course, this event wouldn’t be possible without the help of a lot of people. Those who offered to drive the lorries, I thank you very much. This event wouldn’t be possible if not for their dedication, as they had to make 4 trips from the ulu-ness of NTU to the far east of ECP. To transport the bicycles, the lorries had to be packed to the brim, which required a lot of meticulous arrangement from the everybody who helped. Even after the whole event, they did not abandon their cause; bit their lips, carried on their work even with their fatigue. I really have to dedicate this event to my sub-com, for without their help, there wouldn’t be a night cycling to speak off.

Hall 2 Got Talent By Fong Yee Hsu You might be wondering what 600 odd residents would have much talent to offer. You are in for a treat. Hall 2 Got Talent has definitely provided one of the most entertaining shows this year. Auditions were held in the way of American Idol style where contestants had to wait for their turn outside the audition room and had to go through an interview with our very own Ryan Seacrest, Cedrick. Though the auditions were held at the TV room, the faces of the panel of judges made it very intimidating for contestants who had to showcase their very best talent. Out of 16 performing groups that came to audition, only 8 made the cut for the Finals. Here it comes! The day of the finals of Hall 2 Got Talent! Though it was pouring, it definitely did not dampen the mood of contestants and audience. After making their final preparations and sound check, the contestant took centre stage of Canteen 2 to showcase their talents. After which contestants stood still to listen to the judges’ comments. There were loads of variety in the competition; however there were two performances which stood out. Firstly, it was Kim, an international student that came for exchange, who melted the ladies hearts with his rendition of a Korean Song (Nothing Better). Although many of the audience do not understand Korean, they do understand the sentiments of Kim who sang the song so beautifully.

Along the way, I am sure everyone had tons of fun, be it with your special committees or with your OGs. For the LLRC that came back, I am sure we definitely miss the time we had in our varsity lives and I wish you the best in your future endeavors. For the Freshies, this is only but the first of many more years of hall life to come, and thank you once again for being such wonderful participants!

Secondly, it was the performing group representing the Lao Lang Relac Club (LLRC): The Backside Boys! Being the seniors of Hall 2, they definitely showed the freshies how to move their bodies with their energetic and dynamic dance moves. Receiving the loudest applause of the night, they also claimed the 1st prize of the day by being the Hall 2 Got Talent Champions! Hall 2 Got Talent? YES!

International Night By Fong Yee Hsu KAM SA HA MI DA! Greetings to all International students! This was an event which definitely reaped unexpected rewards. At first glance, it was just a night of food and games; however it turned out to be a night where joy was shared and friendships were forged. The night kicked off with an extremely sumptuous buffet-styled dinner with huge volumes of food; in terms of both quantity and variety. The food served ranged from local delicacies like Laksa to international food such as Phat Thai and Kebab. The long queues at the food stations definitely showed the warm response by our International friends. There were 4 stations set up to let International students have a feel of Singapore‟s culture. The most well-received was definitely the Durian stations which saw some Caucasians trying out a seemingly „smelly‟ fruit. This fruit is actually reputed as the „King of Fruits‟ in Singapore. The other stations had people try a hand at making hand-rolled spring rolls, or „Popiah‟, and glutinous rice balls, also known as „Tang Yuan‟. In addition, people donned various ethnic costumes such as the „Sari‟ to pose for photos for remembrance. An international quiz was held as well! People had to rush up to the emcee to have a go at the questions. 15 questions were asked and people also had to play side games like „rock, paper, scissors‟ and „oh-ya-bei-ya-som‟ to earn their right to answer the questions. Many walked away as proud winners of vouchers given out during the event. Lastly, it was time for BINGO! As usual, this never fails to hype up the everfervent Hall 2 residents. The Grand Prize saw people punching through their Bingo cards, which all of the numbers had to be called out. As the numbers were called out, faces of anticipation, hope, optimism, desire and belief were seen. Then came the moment where everybody loathed. Someone shouted and destroyed everyone‟s hopes. And the winner was none other than “Rambu” Tan which definitely had the biggest smile of the night.

Round Island Eating Trip By Alwin Tan Round island supper has always been an event to chill, enjoy

At the last station, we met up with our fellow hall mates from

the cool night breeze and indulge in your favourite foods. This

different committees and had a good laugh over the different

year, having the autonomy to vote for each resident’s favourite

experiences that we had. Of course, the most entertaining of

supper place, we travelled far and wide to Casuarina for some

all, knew that the games were not for naught. Prize money was

sizzling crispy prata, Geylang for some delicious dim sum and

given out. The full results are as follows:

Katong to sing our hearts out at Teo Heng Karaoke. To end everything off, we enjoyed the smooth savoury tau hway at Rochor Road. Along the way, there was attractive prize money to be won. At Casuarina, we tested our taste buds by trying to identify the drinks given to us. Knowing that it would come from the menu, we secretly took photos and read off it one by one. Sadly, even with this advantage, and a tinge of dumbness (like not reading the first line of the menu, and saying names in English), the fastest team that came in took 3 mins. At Geylang, we moved from more sensitive taste buds to fastest swallowers. At this station, we had to eat (okay fine, swallow) a chee cheong fun and drink up all the zhup in the fastest possible time. Seems easy, and the talk came cheaply too. Many a time’s guys would come up talking big about how fast they can finish it, but the latter action was always humorous. Zhup came flying everywhere, half chewed chee cheong fun all over their plates, and a dirty messy shirt was the result. Of course, there was the occasional coward (right, Vincent?) who wouldn’t dare attempt to eat at all. The results were hilarious, reputations made (and lost), and it was all a good night of fun. At Teo Heng, we sang our hearts out. Some of us even got carried away and kissed whatever in sight. It was a good break from all that eating, and the singing provided us an insight to some we never got to see. While it might go against the idea of supper, we had lots of joy singing, laughing, shuffling, and for some, kissing. Kudos to Ervin Lai for the brilliant idea.

Taste bud galore: 1) Basketball 2) OMC 3) OCIP Fastests chee cheong fun: 1) Low Zi Hao - OCIP 2) Justin Teh – Hall Prod 3) Kollin - Rec Most songs sung: 1) LLRC 2) OMC 3) OCIP Thank you all for making this such a memorable event!

Wing Supper By Clement Cher

Selegie beancurd and soya bean milk, Pizza Hut drumlets,

“One Hall. Two Levels. Eleven blocks, which is yours?”

satay and 1A curry puffs just to name a few!

If you do not know yet, Hall 2 consists of 11 blocks and 4

Kudos to the Block Managers for assisting in the set up,

wings. Block 1 and 2 make up the first wing. Block 3,4,5 the

collection of food and distribution of block tee shirts! It was

second wing, blocks 6,7,8 the third and 9,10 and 11 the

indeed a memorable and gastronomically satisfying

fourth wing!

experience. I hope everyone enjoyed themselves and found the event a rewarding one.

Wing Supper took

place on 10th Feb, right

after everyone had

gorged themselves during Chinese New Year and amidst a very exhausting IHG period. It provided the perfect backdrop for residents to know new neighbours who had shifted in, catch up with old friends after the CNY break and get up to date on Hall 2’s progress in IHG! Hall Fellows graced the event and it provided a good opportunity for them to interact and know the residents on a deeper level. Food for the night included KFC egg tarts,

CNY Dinner By Lim Hann Bin Hall Tu CNY dinner was held at hall 8’s function room this year. A wide array of food spread was available for each person, inclusive of traditional steamboat staples such as sausages, chicken slices, golden mushrooms, and our own delicacies such as cheese tofu and abalone.

Towards the end, we ended off with a big big lucky draw. Prizes ranged from monetary vouchers to steamboat sets, and the biggest of them all, the Nintendo Wii. After the grand lucky draw, we gathered to the centre where the whole hall took part in the ceremonial lao-ing of yusheng. With a few

The event kicked off with a bang, with a performance from

quick words from our emcee, Malcolm, we proceeded with

our very own NTU dragon dance troupe. The guest of honor

the traditional customs with a bit of hall 2 flavour in it.

was none other than our hall fellow, Prof Lam and his family. Shortly after that, dinner started and we started feasting.

Alumni Night This event wouldn’t have been possible without the help everyone provided us with. Thank you everyone who helped in

By Jocelyn Neo

one way or another, especially all those that stayed behind to This year’s alumni night chaired

by the 26th JCRC president,

Lawrence Teh was a great success. And slightly different from

Thanks to Lawrence for his guidance, thanks to Yee Hsu for

past years, we invited graduating seniors to the event as well.

all the help you have given and special thanks to the 3

This year we held it at the futsal court in hall 2 so as to give

special committee and all who had contributed in a way or

the alumni a homely feel. The event started off with a

another to the success of this event. Thank you.

sumptuous buffet and fabulous barbeque dinner prepared by D & D. Following on was the fantastic performance bought by Alvin and Yee Hsu (also the mc and vice-chairman of alumni night’11). The main highlight of the event was the carnival and casino games, prepared by OMC and Hall Prod respectively, attracting alumni and graduating seniors to test their luck and try to earn as many chips as possible to win the fantastic prizes in hold for them. The night ended with the well-liked game, Bingo, and with the alumni leaving the event with souvenirs such as instant print photos and our very

A big thank you to the water polo boys who came down even though they had just completed a gruelling semi-finals match with hall 6.

Basketball (F) By Eunice Pang As we ushered in the new academic year with orientation camp, the hall 2 basketball girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x; team received an enthusiastic response from the fellow hall members. The girls are back in contention for the title, where they finished runners-up in last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x;s inter-hall games.

Despite losing the 2nd game, our girls were confident of coming back stronger in the last game of the preliminary round, where a win will see us through to the quarters. Unfortunately, we suffered a blow when we were informed that our team has been disqualified due to administrative errors.

Training started earlier this season, to ensure that we were equipped and prepared for the games. We trained weekly and everyone made an effort to turn up for training despite of our hectic schedule. Having gone through months of rigorous training, our girls came prepared for this season.

It was a pity that our fight came to a halt, but our spirits are high and we will be back the next year to make up for what we have lost.

Under the leadership of our captain, Jayne, our girls started the season strongly, with a convincing win over Hall 10. During the next match, we faced the strongest contenders of the group, Hall 13. The game had been very challenging for us given that Hall 13 had advantage in terms of players. Our girls fought hard, chasing and going for every ball that they could. However, Hall 13 proved to be the stronger team, eventually becoming the winner of the match.

Table Tennis By Adelene Tan

Hall 2 Table Tennis team of 2010/2011 consisted of 15 people. Trainings were conducted on every Thursday for 3hrs at the SRC. The Inter-Hall Table Tennis Games commenced on the 4th Jan 2011.It was a round robin between 4 groups, A, B, c and D. Hall 2 was in group C.The first game was against hall 8. It was lead by the Captain, Keith with his team of 8 players. It was not an easy game as we were faced with the obstacle of a shortage in the female players until the day before the match. Despite so, the team started the IHG well, attaining a victory over Hall 8 with a score of 4:1. The next 2 matches was against hall 3 who had 2 of the strongest IVP players and hall 15, who had 3 IVP players in their team. In spite of the difference in our standard, we did not give up and fought our best. The female doubles won a game against hall 3 with a score of 3:0 while our male doubles put up a tough fight against hall 15, ending up with a score of 2:3. Although we lost, it was a great experience for all of us, especially when it was the first table tennis competition for many in the team. This concludes our IHG for 2010/2011 but it will not be the end of it. With failure comes success.

Basketball (M) By Cedrick Lee and Kenneth Hor

“Swishhh” The reverberating sound of the last shot which deafened the eerie silence within SRC and promptly knocked Hall 2 out of IHG 09/10 seemed like a haunting nightmare on self-replay mode flashing through our minds the past year. Every training session, every basketball affair, every post-match debrief, was so we could make things right again, to erase this painful memory and in its place, replaced with sheer joy and pure ecstasy. Fast forward one year on, we stormed our way past the initial stages, posting impressive wins over Halls 7, 16 and 5. A mere two wins stood between us and the coveted championship. Next up in the semi-finals, our neighbours and fierce competitors both in IHG and for Canteen 2, Hall 6. Any doubts of elimination and inability were swiftly quashed with a resounding 51-43 victory to set up a date with our old foes, nemesis and the defending champions, Hall 10. A case of déjà vu, or history in the making?

The confidence and momentum we gained in our convincing semi-final triumph were certainly awe-inspiring. Driven by a shared vision that the team shall demand redemption for our failure last year, and that we needed to fight for it as a team, our desire to claim the championship was evident right from the onset. We were men on a mission with a vengeance, not merely looking for just another journey, experience or process. On the contrary, we were focused and had a clear target in mind – Champions. Anything less would be deemed as a failure. “Talent counts for nothing without hard work”. The fundamental key to success is about hard work, determination and dedication. That was the attitude we embraced when preparing for the season. All of us dedicated our heart and soul into trainings. Everybody‟s presence was essential to the team‟s progress, and needless to say, it was gratifying when our efforts paid off during the matches. I daresay that our victories were largely driven by our team effort, rather than individual talents and skills. It is the trust and camaraderie we developed along the way, which will essentially bring us the championship, completing our validation.

Validation indeed, the road to redemption was completed with an emphatic 43-33 victory in the final. We were finally liberated, we were finally able to look ourselves into the mirror and remain accountable. The pride and honor of being a part of this team, is priceless. Nonetheless, the unwavering support from the Hall and our supporters cannot be underestimated. To send you guys into raptures of euphoria and rhapsody was a joy to behold, it was our way of saying thanks. As quoted from Pat Riley and Aung San Suu Kyi, “You have no choices about how you had lost, but you do have a choice about how you come back and prepare to win again. It is his capacity for self-redemption which most distinguishes man from the mere brute.” Hall 2, IHG Basketball Champions 10/11. The Redemption Team, redeemed.

Hockey (M) By Shawn Tien Our Hall 2 Male Hockey team has had a relatively successful run in the 2010 IHG season with many ups and downs and exciting moments along the way. The most memorable match in my view was the first match against Hall 1. I felt that that match really exemplified the determination of the team to achieve greater heights. The team this year were mostly comprised of freshmen with little hockey experience and we had only played a couple of friendly in the run-up to IHG. As such, the first match would prove our mettle.

As the tall and imposing Hall 1 player strutted confidently to the penalty spot, you literally could hear a pin drop. After the referee blew the whistle, he sent a shot slightly off-center to the left of the goal, which Shawn saved with his outstretched leg. This meant that we had won our first match 1-0 on penalties. We had proven that we did not let the pressure cooker of penalties get to us. Our second penalty was taken by Shaikh, whose excellent shot to the left was matched by an equally excellent save by the Hall 1 goalkeeper. Hall 1's second penalty was then shot high down the middle, however it went high and well over the bar, not troubling Shawn.

The match was a pretty one sided one, with us controlling the play in the opposing half and limiting Hall 1 to only a half decent chance on target. However, as much as we tried, we could not convert our many Our third and last penalty was taken by our chances to goals. Thus, the match went to captain Stephen, who dispatched a powerful penalties after regulation time. shot to the right of the goal which the Hall 1 goalkeeper was lucky to get to, hitting him Our first penalty was taken by Rabnick, who somewhere in the midsection which had him shot to the left and put it slightly out of reach grimacing in pain after that. of the opposing goalkeeper's despairing dive. Hall 1's first penalty was then shot down the The possibly penultimate penalty of the middle, however it was too close to our match was Hall 1's. The equation was goalkeeper Shawn, who saved with his simple, if Hall 1 scored, we would have to hands. take more penalties. If they failed to score we would win the first match of our IHG tournament.

The subsequent results in the preliminaries were a hard to stomach 1-0 loss to Hall 6 followed by a hard fought 1-0 victory against Hall 15 which secured us a quarterfinal spot. I felt that the team really bounced back from the loss the Hall 6 by taking the game to Hall 15 in which Hall 15 had no shots on our goal. Our quarterfinal opponents, Hall 3, had two skillful players who had the ability to slice through our defence like a hot knife through butter. As such, we lost the match to the future runners-up 2-0 but not without giving it our best before losing valiantly. In conclusion, IHG 2010/2011 has been a good season for the hockey team. The team's chemistry, determination and mental strength cannot be faulted. I believe the team we have is a team for the future. If the core of the team manages to stay together, I am pretty sure that we will be able to advance further in future IHG seasons to come.

Volleyball (M) By Teo Weilun Hall 2 volleyball team made the hall proud once again by making our way into the finals. We defeated Hall 4 and hall 13 in the preliminary games and advanced into quarter-finals against hall 16 securing a 2-0 win. Proceeding to the semi-finals, we played against last year runner-up hall 3 in an intense best of 5 sets game. Despite the stress and fatigue we are facing in battling out with them, our playersâ&#x20AC;&#x; experiences and supporters came in right and we won 3-0. In the finals against volleyball powerhouse hall 5, our players were motivated and determined to win. Highpowered serves and spikes dominated the gameplay for extended periods of time. Balls rocketed out of the court at times, nearly flying in the faces of spectators. The two teams had identical passing figures and attack error percentage figures, but hall 5 were a good margin ahead on attack kill percentage and also on serve proficiency. Our team stood strong and made several spikes in return to disrupt their momentum, which boasted our morale and the spirit of hall 2 in the supporters. All in all, hall 5 defeated us as their players possessed greater skills and displayed better teamwork. Despite the lost, hall 2 volleyball team has forged a strong bond and we thank the hall for the support given to us during this IHG season. The team will return stronger and retrieve back the title of championship.

Softball (M) By Low Zi Hao

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly.”

Despite our best efforts, and unyielding spirit, we have to admit that we lost to a better team, and there is no shame in that. Instead, we should be proud of the neversay-die attitude of the team! So rest assured, we will be stronger and aiming to topple the giants next season.

These are words most befitting the softball team for the spirit they have shown during the IHG season. We fought hard and played well, leaving behind our legacy and earning the respect of our opponents.

This year‟s softball team is made up of a balanced mix of devoted seniors and enthusiastic freshmen. Our team captain, Wing Sing, and player-coach Bryan Shih (a.k.a Best Softballer in the World) came up with a structured and organised training programme for the team.

This year‟s 10/11 IHG for softball has been a challenging and tricky one. Hall 2 has been drawn to play against Halls 14 and 9 in the group stages, both of which are decent teams. We got off to a good start with a victory over Hall 14. Although we lost our second match to Hall 9, we managed to come back strong and win our remaining match to advance into the Quarter-Finals. In the Quarters, we were up against the defending champions, Hall 3. The odds were stacked heavily against us, nevertheless, our spirits never dampened and we did all we could in our preparation and went head on with goliath.

With that, the team steadily improved over the season and was in high morale & confidence for the IHG. Seniors player like Zhuo Song and Lawrence also played their part by sharing their knowledge and expertise with the team. Si Kuan and Sidney were also the main reasons why the team had such fighting spirit and strong mindset. Their speeches and prep-talks during trainings and matches were extremely encouraging and inspiring.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the supporters who came down for the matches. Your presence was definitely felt. Thank you Welfare, Elizabeth, for all the 100 plus, drinks and food. Big thank you to the Sports Secs as well, Daryl and Alvin, for all they have done for the team both upfront and behind the scenes. You all are the unsung hero that helped cover all the needs of the team and for the support not only during the games but also during trainings. And lastly, special thanks to all the players who will be graduating this year. The team will like to wish them well in their future endeavours. All in all, this year‟s softball season was an enjoyable and memorable one. Let us all work harder and strive for greater heights together next year. Finally, I would like to end off with a quote that I find very meaningful;

"When I am at my physical limit, these are the people that come into my mind because they are the ones who are in hell with me. I will press on, because they are the ones who will give their all to help me attain my wildest dreams."

Track By Lim Zhihao The track team has improved from last year‟s overall 3 rd to 2nd this year, and it was only made possible by everyone‟s hard work and effort. The girls, comprising of Mainisah, Angela, Eunice, Philicia, Ling Juan, Alissa and Sann were amazingly fast. Despite facing strong or even national runners, the girls emerged triumphant, bringing home 2 gold medals. It was definitely no mean feat. Besides their glorious accomplishments, the girls had also brought back sweet memories, as year 1 Mainisah put it,” Winning was great, but running with my friends, especially my touch rugby seniors was AWESOME!” Led by team captain Fong Yi, the guys‟ team, Sidney, Yuan Kai, Yen Hao, Yee Han, Wang Peng, Zhi Hao and Zhi Sheng, Alvin, Alex, finished strong to clinch the 4 th and 5th place. With the guys‟ team fraught with injuries, they had to constantly practice with new partners for baton passing. However, even in the face of adversities, the guys team made great improvements within a short period, with even Yee Han managing to trim his 400m timing from 76sec to 56sec in a night! Last but not least, the medley team, made up of Alissa, Sann, Alvin and Alex put up a great race to secure a 5 th position. Being the last race, they faced immense pressure, as it will determine our fate. Our hopes were not let down, as they finished triumphantly to the cheers of the hall 2 supporters.

Netball By Wong Sok Peng It was the day when we were going to fight against one of the strongest hall for netball. We knew that it was going to be a tough battle but we did have quite a fair chance to win the match. The crowd that came down to support us on that day was the biggest out of all our matches. It was a crucial match that determined whether we would be in the semi-finals. Before the match, many of us were nervous and scared. When the match finally started, our opponent managed to score the first goal. However, we were not demoralized and we tried to win back the score. We had a very close fight with them in the first and second quarter. First quarter was a draw and by the end of second quarter, we only lost by one goal. We believed even more strongly that we had an equal chance to win the match. Our morale was high and we could see that our opponents were getting more worried. During the third quarter, the opponent team suddenly kept scoring and pulled the score difference apart. Every score that they put in made our confidence level drop by a bit. We knew that we were affected by them and the situation was bad. Eventually, they were leading ahead by eight at the end of third quarter. We took the break time to reflect on our mistakes and tell ourselves that we were going to win it back in the last quarter. We went in and fought hard till the very last moment when the whistle was blown. There were no thoughts of giving up. Although we lost the match, we knew that we did our best and it was a good play. What many of us looked forward was to come back stronger next year and do better than this year.

Finals Results 4x100m Females – 1st 4x400m Females – 1st 4x100m Males – 4th 4x400m Males – 6th 4x800m Medley – 5th

Badminton By Brian Koh In the spirit of Inter-Hall Games, graciousness, fair-play and fun were the basis of this harmonious event. But it appeared to some as a serious competition which they would not mind winning by all means and undertaking measures in hope for a „glorious‟ victory. The quarterfinals, indeed was a memorable and theatrical piece. Starting with several correspondences with the opposing IC but somehow misinterpreted information which was given weeks before. It was certainly an honour to be able to speak to the higher management of committees of the oppositions as they were kind enough to clear up the misunderstandings. The truth be told, a couple of decisions were apparently made on their part and we were pleasantly surprised to see only our team at the time of the game. The spokespersons of the opposing team were definitely spontaneous in their thoughts as assurances were made instantaneously showing their commitment and desire for a fair competition. Giving them the benefit of the doubt and several pleas, we were made to believe that it was indeed miscommunication on their side that led to the confusion. Appearing attenuated and in despair, were probably their metier as it bought over many of our players‟ as we graciously postponed the game to accommodate them. But after much investigation, it was unveiled that statements were mere statements, which we really hoped to hold through. The eventual day of the quarterfinals finally arrived and we were all excited to find out which team would progress to the next round. It was a tough match on the whole with both teams tied at 2-2. It dragged till the last game of mix-doubles and our players had to perform brilliantly to secure a spot in the semi-finals. Despite all the unwanted and messy incidences our players held thru to the end and won that epic battle. Nevertheless, we fought all the way in the Semis and Finals to emerge as gallant champions of 2011.

Hockey (F) By Foo Minggirl’s Qinteam this year can be commended for their hard Our hockey effort and determination displayed during the inter-hall games. This year, our team comprised of slightly more freshies girls as newcomers with no background in hockey made up the majority, while seniors with experience continue to stay in the team with the addition of 2 IVP players. ended with a draw of 0-0 unfortunately. This was later followed by penalty shots from both teams. Almost similar to last year’s IHG fixtures, our team continue to face familiar opponents from stronger halls like hall 7 to other relatively Although sok yin managed to score one penalty goal for our team, weaker halls. Therefore, although our team did not manage to it was to our disappointment that hall 4 had surpassed us in such break through the preliminaries, the amount of time and effort the penalty goals and the end result was 1-2. team had seen to put in for the competition is highly worth praising nonetheless. Moreover, just as an overview, our team has In conclusion, it is still evident that all of our girls had put in their done hall 2 proud by securing 1 win, 1 draw and 1 lost in the utmost best for this competition, from willing to learn hockey from preliminary rounds. the basics to the taking out of time for numerous trainings, to Our first match was against the strong opponent from hall 7. training as a team together to acquire teamwork skills and finally to the day of competition itself. Although we might not have won Our girls have had definitely done the hall proud by displaying the competition and emerge victorious, we have had already won good defensive skills throughout the match. We had undoubtedly ourselves the true spirit and meaning behind these inter-hall put up a strong fight against hall 7 that is well-known for their games. dominant attack nature from their IVP players. The game eventually ended with a loss on our side of 0-1. However, our team Till the next IHG season may we conquer victory! was honestly quite flattered with the results as other halls which competed with hall 7 later on, ended up with score lines of 3-0 or 5-0 even. In fact, this news boosted our morale and confidence as we geared up for the next match. Next, we competed with hall 1 for the second round of preliminaries. Once again, the girls did hall 2 proud by securing a win of 1-0 against hall 1. We had the upper hand during the game as the possession of ball maintained ours throughout the game. Finally, the deciding and crucial round was against hall 4 as with the previous years too. After a tough fight with hall 4, our team

Waterpolo By Ray Lim and Kenryu Wang

Having finally entering the finals for their first time in 3 years, our very own hall polo boys gave the defending champions a run for their money. Though the end result was not to our favour, it was nonetheless a breath-taking and exciting game with a final score of 52, a score line only seen in the tightest of water polo games. With a team largely consisting of freshsmen inexperienced in the techniques of water polo, together with the more seasoned senior players, we held our own and did well against an opposing team that consisted of many ex-ivp players. The team‟s strong commitment to the sport and the hall was shown in the regular training sessions that were held both within the school and out. Some of our training highlights would include the friendlies that we played against teams such as NUS, The National Women‟s Water Polo Team and with special focus on the SAJC Water Polo team, to which our teammates can attest to having gained a really good experience in the sport. From the basics to the higher level tactics that we have used to play in our various games, our players displayed splendid determination and team work to help the team reach such a standing in this year‟s Hall Olympiad. Although the team finished the season as runner-up, it is still an excellent result and we are ever determined to try and snatch the championship off hall 3 next year.

The polo team would like to take this opportunity to thank our seniors who will be graduating. Firstly, to our IVP senior Xian Rong, for his dedication and commitment to the team in imparting his knowledge and skills of water polo to us. Rodrick, for his contribution of the dynamics of the team and guidance towards coaching and training matters. Ervin, for instilling a sense of identity and belonging for every member of the water polo team. Yee Han, for his remedial shooting courses he conducts for the freshies to help improve their shooting and long passes. And Thai Ee, for his unmistakable passion for hall two sports. Thank you for sticking with us through the season. We would also like to make a special mention to our most improved players Chia Wang Peng and Harry Peh YuZheng-Potter for their exceptional performances. And lastly, to all the supporters that came down to cheer the team on regardless of the score, your support and encouragement was much appreciated. To our freshies, be proud of what you have achieved, water polo is not an easy sport to pick up at all and every one of you has done really well and has shown lots of spirit. For our seniors, thank you for being there with the extra encouragement and guidance.

Rugby By TanWei Qiang

This year was special. I was part of it. I truly don‟t recall camaraderie like this other than my army days as a commando. Everybody learns something. Wang Peng, the hall king, overcame his greatest fear and totally knocked someone out with a move he had learnt in his secondary school days watching wrestling. Mr Wang completely ignored that it was the last play of the game and if there was an MVP system, he would have been the only contender.

Soccer By Chai Ming Long Hello people. It has indeed been a long and arduous journey. I was handed the captaincy of the team almost immediately after last year IHG. The fact that I was a freshie and notoriously outspoken didn‟t help matters at all. In the team, I have seniors who have a too much faith in themselves but thank god they either graduated or couldn‟t get a room. Seniors aside, I have a bunch of freshies reeking with potential and ready to go. Gathering whatever resources I have available, I assembled together a team that is formidable, well at least in the sense of IHG. We played a series of friendly matches in pre-season, notching up consecutive wins along the way. We remained unbeaten up till IHG and boy, aren‟t we more than ready for the real deal. The draw came out. I thought Alvin was kidding me. He handed me the exact same grouping as last IHG. Oh! And we played our first match against the exact same opponent as last year. Donned in our H L Lian‟s freshly printed purple stripe, we looked pretty awesome, much better than the gay boys across the street (Hall 6). We proved too much for Hall 13 to handle, smashing 7 goals past them without any mercy. Their reply? The referee is their friend! Oh man, indeed he is my classmate but hello, it‟s freaking 7 goals! What do you have to say? Never mind that, let‟s move on to the second match. We were up against Hall 15 in the scorching sun of Serangoon Stadium. The sun practically sapped away all our energies, had Parthi played, he will probably get a heat stroke! The heat was more than detrimental. I was too overwhelmed that I made a mistake which probably caused us our season. I had forgotten to remove my Fernando Torres who was already on a yellow card despite us leading comfortably. Before I realised it, a mistimed tackle by the opposition on Torres saw him taking a fall in the penalty box which was adjusted to be a dive by the referee! And as they said, the rest is history. We were poised to face our greatest nemesis, Hall 3 in the quarter final. Much had been said, much had been done in preparation for the game but it all boils down to what we deliver on the pitch. Right from the start, the confidence we had in prior matches was adversely missing. Our usual fluent passing was non-existence. Despite us opening the scoring through a cool, calm and composed penalty, we never really look convincing enough. We toiled, we struggled and we killed ourselves through a series of mistakes. Mistakes that were pointed out time and time again during friendly matches and trainings, but were never learnt. We were knocked out. This is life, you win some and you lose some. This defeat definitely taught us a lesson, a lesson which is pretty hard to swallow. But we will, and we shall. Perhaps we should start calling ourselves the „redemption team‟. Passion can never be expressed in words. Our President Yu Hao; Sports Secretary Alvin, and Game Shark Zheng Jie came for trainings while sporting sprains and pulls. Sidney, the oldest player on the team, showed his devotion to the team, coming down after his attachment to train us on top of his national commitments. The immense commitment my teammates showed for turning up for trainings was extremely impressive. We trained for 3 months, breezing through our preliminaries with victories over Hall 11 and 12, and making a statement in our semis with Hall 6 after a walkover by Hall 15 during our quarters. Hall 3 was our strongest opponent and we faced each other in the finals. Once the whistle blew, we took them by surprise with our efforts. However, on this occasion, the better team didn‟t win. We faced dismay for the first time as we walked out of the pitch. The journey doesn‟t end here.

Sepak Takraw By Alvin Bay

Hall 2 Sepak Takraw team mainly consisted of players who participated in the previous edition of IHG. Hence, confidence was high as our boys knew well that competitive takraw games at this level could be won with sheer grit, composure and sufficient trainings. Alas, it was not always as easy as making a self-assuring axiomatic claim. To begin with, our winning formula fell short of the most important element – trainings. Unlike last year, and most probably because of last year, training frequencies and intensities had increased manifold for many other sports. To make matter worse, many key players had other commitments like IA, part-time job, involvement in other sports and, at times, PP. Hence, it was a chore trying to grab players down for trainings. Nevertheless, with the regular “updates” of the then current IHG preparation from several sources and help from Toh De Yong, takraw trainings finally kicked off, albeit, to a slow start. However, all was not bleak as the majority of the players were undeterred by their busy schedules and found valuable time to come down for practices. Special thanks to Zhengjie, De Yong, Jian Hao, Stephen, Handsome Peh, Hans, Boon, Parthi, Wang Peng, Clement and Nian for coming down for trainings and friendly matches even though the majority of you ended up with near to zilch play time during the tournament. Hall 2 were oddly drafted into a group consisting of Halls 6, 9 and 12. Our first game was against Hall 6. Tension was high initially at our camp as they were the seeded team boasting of players who could well moonlight as novice acrobats. A glimpse of hope befell us as we claimed the first point. We then realised we might have given our opponents too much respect. Unfortunately, we lost the next two sets, handing over to our opponents a 2-1 victory.

For the third game, as luck would have it, we were given our chance at redemption against Hall 6. We knew we had the competence to beat them even though some of their players might be technically stronger. Some tactical changes were made to counter every possible array of ammunitions Hall 6 might hurl at us. It was a tough fight all night, culminating in an exciting final set where we narrowly beat the opponents 21-19. Final score: 2-1 to Hall 2. Sweet Revenge, aye! ;) Having beaten Hall 6, morale got high as we marched into the battle against Hall 5 in the quarter-finals. Little was known about their capabilities. Turned out, their only asset lied in their heads. But, boy were they effective. For every ball that went over the net to their side, they returned it unostentatiously back to us, hoping we would falter and implode on ourselves. Unfortunately, it worked in their favour in the first set. Hall 2 were undeterred. The next team put up a valiant and heroic fight and won us back a point. Hall 2 were resolute to make history – to progress to the next available stage that is the semifinals. Even with evidently poorer support, our boys braced themselves for the third set that ultimately also was the last one for the entire IHG campaign. Hall 5 emerged victorious with a score of 21-19(!). Once again, a very sincere thank you to everybody (players, supporters, welfare, coordinator yong) and everyone else i missed. Let‟s all continue to build upon what we have achieved thus far and hopefully in the near future, we will be close to smelling victory in Sepak Takraw once again!

Our next match was against Hall 9. We were fired up and determined to win at all costs. 3-0 to Hall 2. Nuff said.

Volleyball (F) By Yap Qian Jun The inaugural hall games have been a heart throbbing and fulfilling experience for me. Being part of hall 2 volleyball team, I was fortunate enough to have highly skilled and dedicated teammates to lead me through to the finals. Having said this, competition after competition, leading to the finals were not all smooth sailing; there were games which were played badly and served as an instant wake up call for us. The fact that I have never played volleyball competitively before made me even more insecure about my position and responsibility in the team. However, the endless motivation that my teammates and hall supporters gave was all that I needed to sustain through the many matches before the grand finals. There are several learning points which I managed to take with away from this experience. Amongst which the one that stood out the most was the importance of teamwork and communication in team sports and the immense pride and glory of winning as a team.

Softball (F) By Michelle Ang The swing of the bat, the four bases, the stitched ball, the glove. This is softball, the game we have come to love. For many of us, softball started off as a foreign sport, something very much like a stranger you befriended and slowly became a regular feature in your life. For someone who started off with knowing zilch about softball except for the once-off PE module back as a 15 year-old, where foam balls were used with plastic bats instead, joining Hall 2 Softball was a steep learning curve indeed. Maybe it was pure obstinacy that made us go down for every training. We know that after throwing, blocking and batting ball after ball, we can get the ball to the next base, into the glove that was being held out. Innately, softball was something we wanted to and knew we could play well in. The word going around was that Softball is the most hardworking sport in Hall – who could forget the memorable training camp we had during the December holidays.

Taking one step at a time, we grew as a team and as individuals in terms of skills and lessons taken away from numerous softball trainings. First, we learnt the rules of the game, the techniques of throwing, batting and catching. But at the matches, it all boiled down to the crucial moment where it is just us and the ball. Getting through the Preliminaries was a first in 4 years for Hall 2 Softball F – an especially proud moment for many of the graduating seniors. Next came the Quarterfinals, then the Semifinals. However, the ball is always round, and at that point, the ball of victory stopped spinning for us. Yet, what we took away was greater than the position of a joint-third. Friendships and memories from spending hours together in the Sun and in the mud formed an integral experience of our stay in Hall 2. Some memories are even etched physically as bruises on our bodies.

However, the road would have been significantly tougher without the help of Si Kuan, Sidney, Wing Sing, Zhuo Song, Bryan Shih and Lawrence – and most importantly, the Girls‟ Captain, Shu Lin. They provided invaluable inspiration and support throughout the whole Softball journey.

For bringing the Softball Girls team to where it is today, everyone played a significant role.

Hall 2 Softball Girls is more than just another sport.

Years down the road, we may forget the plays, the runs, the mistakes and the scores but we will never forget this team. This team with a unique blend of characters, coming together making mutual sacrifices for group success. The banter and laughter among the infielders and outfielders on the pitch, the covering of each other‟s asses, the manly over-throwers are what makes this team so special and unforgettable. It is the feeling of teamwork with these very people that we will always remember – a new team next year would never feel the same again.

Road Relay By Mark Lim and Parthiban The journey in achieving Top 2 was not a smooth sailing one. However, with 2 incredible squatters, Alex Ong and Png Zhi Sheng, and the Sports Secretaries worked hard in getting the race fixed on a day where all our runners were free and fit to run, everything became better. Towards the last few weeks leading towards the race, we had even better luck when last year‟s team captain, Sann decided to help out. This resulted in having a trio of strong female runners which had a great impact on the race. On the day itself, 2 balanced teams with Alex and Zhi Sheng started off the race for us. Although at the beginning, the 2 of them looked like they were in the middle of the pack, they managed to pull away and came in 3rd and 7th respectively. The race was continued by Philicia Lim and Tan Yen Hao, running their hearts out, they managed to cut their timings by almost a full minute. They then passed on the race wristbands to Chia Wang Peng and Sann. The two of them maintained the strong pace of the 2 teams to then handover to Alisa and Alvin Bay. Alisa went on to run a timing that would put most guys to shame despite being ill on that day. Alvin Bay proved that size was not a factor with an extraordinary timing of 8.19. Finally, down to our last 2 runners, Aw Si Kuan and Wee Jun Yang, although Si Kuan had just recovered from a bad ankle sprain, he did not let it get in his way as he ran to a strong finish. Jun Yang, who did not have enough time to train due to IA, made up with his experience from past road relays to run to a timing of 8.22. Our 2 teams came in 5 th and 11th in placing, leading to an overall placing of 2nd with a timing of 1 hr 27 min 45 sec. We hope that this team would not rest on its laurels, but instead continue our endeavours to bring it up a notch.

Swimming By Eunice Karina Fu and Francis Koh IHG swimming was a one day affair which started at the unearthly hour of 9am on the morning of 27th February at the Sports & Recreation Centre (SRC). A total of five events were held, the men's 4x50m free style, men's 4x50m breast stroke, women's 4x50m free style, women's 4x50m breast stroke and the mixed 4x50m medley. Hall 2 placed second overall for the IHG swimming competition, obtaining top three positions in all events, of which the most memorable was the 4x50m men's free style relay where our boys clinched the gold in style.

All our swimmers swam with great gusto that day, proving that pure hall bred talent and dedication is always a dependable solution to producing a title winning team. These are our titles: Men's 4x50m free style: 1st Men's 4x50m breast stroke: 2nd Women's 4x50m free style: 3rd Women's 4x50m breast stroke: 2nd Mixed 4x50m medley: 2nd We would like to express our gratitude to several members of our graduating swim team: Xian Rong, Roderick and Jia ying. Our heartfelt thanks go out to our superstar coaches Xian Rong and Roderick, who prepared our rigorous weekly training regime while always paying close attention to correcting our individual strokes. To Jia ying, thank you for your commitment, your presence at every training and time sacrificed have led to your undeniable value to this team! Thank you for the years of dedication, four for Roderick and Jia ying, three for our Wang xi lookalike, Xian Rong. You guys have become an essential part of Hall Two and the swim team could not have achieved as much all these years without the three of you! To the rest of our team, work hard for next year's IHG swimming. Let us always have the desire to better ourselves, for personal bests are meant to be rewritten and records are meant to be broken. If you ever feel disheartened, look to the starting platforms. White, red and blue: the colours we don for Hall II.

Tennis By Eugene Tang Odds were stacked high against us right from the beginning. Yet, despite all difficulties, our tennis team managed an amazing run, finishing a semi-final placement though we did not have the advantage of having any seeded players this year. However, to the amazement of many, our players were able to brush this adversity aside and make up for the difference by training even harder instead. Through sheer determination, resolve and dedication to the sport, we were able to exceed all expectations and put on a great fight for all to remember. Those who were privileged enough to watch tennis this year should know better that it is nothing short of drama. We were losing 3-5(30/30) in the last preliminary decider before the courts lights went off on an almost theatrical note. However, being the champions that we are, our players were able to rise to the occasion and make a spectacular comeback on the return game. Neither was it short of magic nor sheer determination that our players were able to make something out of nothing when it mattered the most. That was by far the most epic game of the season and definitely a match to remember for many years to come.

All players have shown good commitment, some others have showed even more. Exemplary players like Mah Si Ying and Chang Yi Hong are just sensational to watch.An IVP badminton player, Mah Si Ying, that can beat a tennis IVP player with ease. That is just how good she is. By winning the most difficult matchups with class, confidence and style, on a game that is not her own, she makes the impossible, possible. In short : “What a total baller.” “A true IVP, our M.V.P.” – Lee Chong “Undisputed racket queen of hall2.” – Eugene Tang Although we came up short in the semi-finals, it was a close game and the final result could have gone either way. We did our best this year and we will come back stronger and better next year.

Squash By Thaddeus Tsang

"There is only one thing we should achieve today." "NOTHING... ... but VICTORY." Such words were translated into reality not long after, when Huang Hua Ming, OMC Vice-Chairman wrapped victory for Hall 2 against Hall 1 and ensured our route to the finals after humiliating his opponent 3-0 without reply. Fighting all the way from start to finish, Hua Ming took the first 2 sets without much difficulty. A combination of quick reflexes and smart play ensured that he had a 2 set advantage over his opponent, who was then determined to retaliate. In the 3rd set, the attempted retaliation was imminent. Hua Ming at the same time, got a little tired and found himself suddenly trailing 6-3. Then came the turning point. It was the sight of Parthiban, fellow OMC-er cheering his guts out and wrenching his hair every time Hua Ming made an unforced error that gave the latter new found strength. And as if by miracle, Hua Ming crawled back to push the score to 6-6. He then lost a point, making the score 7-6 in his opponent's favour but eventually squeezed his way to win the set 9-7 to the squeal and delight of the Hall 2 supporters! The win for Hua Ming proved to be even sweeter for him than anybody else, as he lost to the same opponent 3 weeks earlier during the preliminaries. Despite the loss that fateful day, Hua Ming trained triply hard, sacrificed some of his chinese new year goodies like his favourite peanut cake and never looked back. And his efforts paid off handsomely. Zhi Rui gave his opponent absolutely no chance to even get 1 point off him as he conquered 9-0, 9-0 ,9-0. Executing exquisite moves that would make even the reigning world squash champion, Ramy Ashour salivate, Zhi Rui totally wowed the audience to the point where jaws were dropped and the cheers stopped as supporters just looked on with awe for 10 minutes. Ummm...because... the match was won within 10 minutes. ;) Those who came late regretted later on as they realised they had just missed out on a world-class, winning performance. Having a more laid-back approach to the game, Thaddeus' initial lobs and drops irritated his opponent and it proved to be a good strategy as his opponent started making many unforced errors. In the 3rd set however, Thaddeus changed his game plan and started to play a fast-paced game. Unused to the sudden change in style of play, his opponent was forced to make even more errors and one error was that he mistook the wall for the ball and he swung his racket at the wall! And his racket broke! Justin Teh later commented, "eh wah lao, thrashing him is already bad enough. still must make him break his own racket!". Later on, Poh Ying Ting took on the challenge of playing an IVP player. It was not her skills but rather, her determination that touched the crowd. Running at ball after ball, Ying Ting gave her opponent every reason to pant and sweat. The support of her close friends also gave her encouragement and she fought till the very end. Also having the privilege of playing another strong IVP player was Mah Si Ying, who was gunning for an upset. It was honestly a great effort as she managed to steal quite a few points from her opponent, who also happens to be a badminton-convert. The two girls' efforts were commendable as they both put up good fights despite playing much better players. The girls always seemed to have a knack for playing IVP players. And the finals against Hall 12 were no exception, where Joella Chua and Mah Si Ying had to pit their wits against opponents worthy of the

national team. The two girls battled their hearts out. Not to win. But to play their best. For themselves and for Hall 2. And that was something to be proud of. Backed by the unwavering support of the Tan duo, Silin and Regina, who screamed their lungs out after almost every point, Thaddeus Tsang would have done himself injustice if he had lost his match. Fortunately, he did not disappoint and duly won his match after whipping his opponent 9-3, 9-2, 90. Mere triumph however, did not seem to please everyone. Justin Teh was one of those who publicly voiced out his displeasure. “I came all the way here to see Thaddeus crush his opponent and there he has to concede 5 points! I‟m not happy. He had better train harder.” In contrast, Tan Zhi Rui left not a single supporter fuming as he overcame his opponent 9-0, 9-0, 9-0 in what considered to be a mere 9-minute cameo appearance. He even caused his opponent‟s racket string to snap during the 5-minute match warm-up! Not once. But twice! Before the match even started! Hall 2 Squash somehow has a special skill for causing our opponents‟ things to be destroyed. Earlier in the semi-finals, our opponent‟s racket cracked. In the finals, our opponent‟s string snapped. What‟s next? Shatter? That‟s exactly what happened to Huang Hua Ming‟s opponent‟s confidence in what must have been one of the most amazing comebacks and conquests ever. Playing the decider that would make or break the team – determining the champion of IHG Squash 10/11, Hua Ming stormed to a 2-0 lead after maintaining his stronghold. His nemesis then managed to wrestle 1 set from him to keep the championship title open again at 2-1. In the 4th set, sneaky fatigue began to crawl up with Hua Ming and he suddenly found himself trailing 7-0! “Is he going to relinquish this set or even the match eventually?” went through a lot of supporters‟ minds. No prizes for guessing that The Hall 2 support then had a trick up their sleeves. No it was not the girlfriend. Neither was it Parthi this time. Unleashing their secret weapon was Priscilla Ng, whose enthusiastic cheer alone would make a loud hailer useless and Hall 12‟s entire support contingent embarrassed, who made the difference. “GO HUAMINGGGG!!!” Hua Ming in response, crept up 1-7. 2-7. 3-7. Slowly but surely, his opponent‟s confidence shattered like glass as Hua Ming fought back to 7-7! By then, both players looked like they just had a dip in the SRC swimming pool 20 metres away. Hua Ming then took full advantage of his opponents‟ low morale and sealed a spectacular success with a 9-7 win, right after trailing 7-0 just a while ago! Once again, it was down to the 3 musketeers to salvage a sweet 3-2 team final victory. A long-awaited gold medal was finally clinched. This however, could not have been possible without the support and dedication of Hall 2. It was not just your presence and cheering. It was the small, little ways, be it Johnson quietly supporting 100% of our matches, Thai Ee snapping pictures of us or even Elizabeth preparing refreshments that meant a whole lot to us. And we appreciate that. Thank you. We are pleased to declare that the gold, squash medal now belongs to us. Hall 2.

CHAMPIONS Badminton

Basketball m

Squash

volleyball F

RUNNER UPS Road relay

Rugby

Swimming

Track

Volleyball m

Water polo

Bridge

By Tan Wen Yuan

This is my fourth and last time writing the team story for Hall 2 bridge team. After three times when we have tried and failed, at last I have before I graduate got the opportunity to write a successful debrief report. The bridge team this year started almost from scratch. All of our core players are new, while our old hands did not play as they have other commitments. Yet we qualified for the quarters. Note that the quarters for bridge were not easy to reach as there are only four Halls in each group. The core players are Ariana, Sylvia, Mervyn, Weiji, Zhikai and I. Edison, Sin Loong, Tony and Sharon are reserve players. Finally, my peers WenHan, Kai Leong, Weiping, Shifeng and Thai Ee, though not formally playing, contributed a great deal in helping to plan and debrief each training.

Finally, the efforts of WenHan, Kai Leong, Weiping, Shifeng, Sin Loong, Tony and Claire, Mervyn and Weiji are not to be forgotten. Their jovial nature balanced my much more serious personality, making the freshies feel at home. Otherwise, I fear some of them would have long been freaked out by the tough training. The big day eventually came and the first game of the day proved that both our training and pairing had paid off. For Hall 2 defeated Hall 3 by 25 points to 3, a very great victory, the maximum possible gain of points on our side. One of the boards (board=round) deserved particular mention. Ariana and Sylvia scored 2000 points (!). (Bridge scores are usually only a few hundred, rarely more than 1000.) It is safe to say that this board alone was enough for them to be put on the capping list. I was told that this board totally demoralized the opponents.

Bridge, unlike other IH games, is played in pairs and the partnership plays as one. I paired Ariana and Sylvia, Mervyn and Weiji, Zhikai and I. I hesitated for a very long time before deciding to pair Ariana, Sylvia, Zhikai and I this way. For in terms of playing style compatibility, pairing Zhikai with Sylvia and Ariana and I actually would have been theoretically better. What eventually made me decide to pair this way is because Ariana and Sylvia are roommies and therefore I predicted that they may have a telepathy-like ability to communicate – a trait characteristic of roommies – and something that I myself share with two roommies of my own, WenHan and Kai Leong.

The next game however we faced the powerhouse of the group, Hall 16. After a long and difficult struggle, we lost 10 points against 20. While we were disappointed with the result, it was still an honourable defeat against a much stronger opponent.

Having decided the partnerships, we proceeded to train hard. Training was tough – often lasting till late at night into the wee hours of the day, harder than I have trained in the school team back then in my freshie year. Here I really must thank my fellow Year 4’s: my roommies WenHan and Kai Leong, my great friends Weiping and Shifeng, for coming down to the rec room to help plan and evaluate the training. We actually role-played the process, the Year 4’s acting as freshies to see whether the training was feasible or not for the real freshies. Besides the Year 4’s I would particularly commend Zhikai for staying beyond even the extremely long training hours to discuss bridge further. He has more than once stayed behind after all the others left except my Year 4 peers, to help give suggestions and plan the next training.

We therefore matched against Hall 15 in the quarters and lost to them, they being very strong, almost as good as Hall 16. All the same, we have outdone our expectations given our opponents. For that, I am grateful and we should be happy about it.

Carrom

The last game against Hall 1 was one where we needed to win as much as possible. The match was hard fought; one board, one of our very best, was so brilliant that the opponents thought we cheated! We won by a healthy margin of 22 points to 8. Unfortunately, we still could not outdistance Hall 16, and ended up being second place in the group.

Finally, a special word of thanks to all those who came down to support us. Your presence acted like a Brilliance Aura and that has certainly helped improve our morale. I am sad that I will no longer be around next year. However, I am happy to know that I have given the rest of the team enough foundational strength for them to propagate on their own. May the Spirit of Hall 2 be with all her residents till eternity ends.

By Low Zi Hao

This year has truly been an extraordinary year for Hall 2 carrom team. The team went to the Hall Recreational Games and managed a decent display against teams like Hall 3, which is the defending champion for Carrom and Hall 9 which is the other overall champion for recreational games. Despite not being able to quality for the next round, the team manages to gain some precious experience and enjoy the atmosphere. I strongly believe that those who participated this year will be back next year for the new challenge. The carom team this year consist of a mixture of freshies and seniors. Players like Kai Leong and Sin long did their very best in imparting skill to us in training. Our team Captain, Lawrence also encourage us a lot and try to make the training interesting and fun. Female players, Regina also did her best in all the single matches. Being the only senior female player, she shows great composure

and calmness in her battle. Freshies like Valarie Pok a.k.a Carrom Queen and Vincent also form a formidable pair despite being relatively new to the game. I would like to thanks the other team members like Silin, Tony, Jun Hua, Sheryl and Fion who gave their all in the gruelling games that last the whole day. Not forgetting their tireless hours in trainings and the amount of weekend burned because of training. We couldn’t have done it without you guys (and girls). Special thanks to our supporters like Hui Xin, Jocelyn, Ping Fang, Qi Quan and Malcolm for coming down to lent us your support and for your love of the game. Your presence was definitely felt. Then, I would like to thanks Elizabeth for the welfare provided. The Biscuits & Drinks provided is indeed morale boasting after every match.

Othello

By Tan Zi Jian

This year, the team was bent on improving upon previous year’s strong showing and to display the indomitable spirit that characterizes Hall 2 on the Othello boards. With this sole mission in mind, the Othello players trained long and hard for the competition amid their busy schedules. Self-proclaimed Othello Queen V Pok held the helm in trainings and her presence greatly benefited the team, proving to be the source of jokes that helped lighten up the competitive nature of the game.

With the end of this write up, the long journey of the team has also finally come to an end. While we did not reach the destination we had intended, it is often the journey we shared together that matters. I am glad that over this past year, the team went through an incredible journey together that will stay with us for years to come.

The core members of the group this year consists of a mix of experience and brimming youthfulness. In addition to Wen Yuan and Edison from previous years, we also have new members including Sheryl, Shang Fei, Heidi and Hui Xin. With the addition of Thai Ee to the team, it was like the proverbial saying of “adding wings to the tiger”. With his masterful teachings and guidance, many of the members improved tremendously over the training sessions. He also selflessly imparted his trademark silent move to the players though none could do it the way he did. Going into the competition, we had high hopes and confidence in achieving a placed finish with the strong core of players this year. True to form, our first two rounds were converted to dominating wins against Hall 6 and Hall 12. The hard work in training showed as players like Thai Ee and Sheryl mercilessly destroyed their opponents. However, as only 2 Halls from the group can proceed to the semi-finals, we had a very narrow margin of error as any misstep could potentially lead to failure to qualify for the next round. Alas, it proved not to be as we lost the crucial games against previous year’s semi-finalists Hall 9 and Hall 14. While the team narrowly missed out on progressing into the next round, we are highly encouraged by the improvements we have made over the past year. For example, Shang Fei showcased her apparent skills despite only winning one game in the competition. The new generation of players like Sheryl and Heidi will also undoubtedly become the cornerstones of next year’s team. Not mentioning the Othello Queen V Pok’s comedic aura that brought joy and laughter in all the training sessions. As such, I am convinced that these seeds that we have sowed will eventually grow into an Othello tree in the future.

Lastly I would like to thanks the Rec Secs, Joshua, Yuhui and the help of Jian Hao for all they have done for the team both front and back stage. You are the unsung heroes that help us cover all the teams needs and for the support not only during the games but also during trainings. All in all, I feel that the team has great potential and given the right training, Hall 2 carrom team will rise up the ranks. All the Best for next year’s Recreational Games. Hall 2 Hall 2 Hall 2, OI OI OI !!!

Boggle

By John Tan

Despite last minute hell trainings and a one-to-two-days-crashcourse schedule, I must say the boggle team put up a good fight. Although at first we lack members, but as the saying goes: it is the quality that matters not quantity. If the rules had allowed one person to challenge five opponents, we would have gladly elected our newly-enlightened-team-God a.k.a our team captain, Poh Wei Lun, to send our opponents whimpering to a corner. That was how much substance we had. Sadly Reality stepped in to crush our ambition. Though crushed our ambitions were, our Spirits were never stronger. We decided to fight till our last breath, our last intellectual moment. On the first day, we stepped into Hall 8 with an unwavering motto in our hearts, and that was: „We did not come to play. We came to win.” The motto was good and aspiring. But unfortunately the odds were against us. The first few rounds only saw our team God, Poh Wei Lun, shining in hallowed victory over his pallid opponents. The rest of us were mired in defeated darkness, but fortunately the iridescent light emanating out from our team God gave us renewed hope. We decided to fight on, but alas how our

The Boggle Team

DARTS

destinies were never smooth-sailing and easy! We concluded the first day of the competition with only our Team God basking in kaleidoscopic valor while the rest of us were close to kowtowing when suddenly he seemed to say: “Despair not. For no matter how dark a day it is today, there will always be tomorrow.” Upon hearing this, tears welled up in our eyes. We decided that we have to fight on. We must! The next day, we lost. Although we did not manage to clinch the championship title as we had set out to, nevertheless we had an awesome and enlightening experience. We vowed to our team God that we shall come back next year with a much stronger conviction to kill, as compared to this year when we showed too much mercy and leniency – possibly the chief reason we did not manage to get first. As the saying goes: “For those who did not die, they will only come back stronger”. With this motto in our hearts, we shall await the next IHRG, where we will show the other halls what true wisdom really is.

Boggle Team Manager, John Tan

Team captain a.k.a Team God

By Seow Wei Chung and Claire Chin

Darts is all about having fun and challenging yourself. The Darts team did not make it far this year but we are definitely aiming for a better result next year. Nevertheless, the journey to IH is an unforgettable one. Old ties between the seniors were made stronger while new ties with the new players were established and strengthened. We hope this year‟s batch of new players can spread the passion for darts to the future freshies and always put in mind that the process is always more important that the result. Never be contented with what we can do and always try to challenge ourselves to greater heights. To seniors: Shi Feng, Kai Leong, Wei Ping, Zhi Kai, Johnny You guys have given us so much guidance and support. Your passion towards darts is always a motivation for us to continue to push on. The nights at the pubs, challenging us. The nights in the Rec Room, pushing us on to finish our round the board trainings. The nights in hall and other gatherings, just going crazy with us. All these have shown us how much darts has brought us together. Thank you. To new players: Kollin, Sin Loong, Shaikh, Janelle, Yan Kee

Thanks for the coming down for the trainings and pushing through IH together. You guys started off as players who have never played darts before and made the team proud during the matches. You guys started off as strangers who did not know each other and ended up being friends through darts. We hope this passion for darts can continue, even when you are not playing for IH. To us, that is the ultimate most important thing. To our supporters, you know who you are, we thank you. For being there to challenge us during our trainings, for being at the matches to push us on and for making us laugh when trainings become irritating. This is a simple write up that can hopefully show our appreciation towards our players and supporters and remind them of the fun they had. Last but not least, really, thanks to Joshua and Yuhui for their endless support and encouragement. You guys were there throughout the trainings and matches and that really meant a lot to the team.

Chinese Chess

By Tony Lim

Semis! Semis! Semis! Among the roars of joy for the C Chess team was the sweat and tears that everyone shed. Among the fanfare and joyous screams was the toil and pain that each member of the Chinese Chess Team underwent. Indeed it was a win, yet the reasons we were standing with our heads up high had to be acknowledged. What makes a winning team? A good captain? A dedicated manager? Passionate players? Great seniors and friends? Powerful mentors? A supportive JCRC and Rec Secs? Indeed, not one of this factors led to the success of our Chinese Chess team but all of them joined together. Everyone holds this honor together. We have done it. Firstly, we would like to thank Sin Loong our captain for his guidance and tactical play which was discussed with the mentors which eventually brought us to the semis. His superb skills also not only served to gain us countless wins but also served as a benchmark and target to beat for all our players. The players themselves must be mentioned in kind. Thanks to Edison, our tanker, for withstanding the blows of the first table where the competition was likely the most fierce and even conquering strong players with his steady play. Thai Ee also has to be mentioned for his passion to the game. Just 5 months prior to the competition, he was willing to put aside his International Chess where he did IH he did equally well and try out C Chess. Through his continual effort, he quickly picked up the game and became a formidable force to be reckoned with. Another stalwart we must mention is Chang Quan. He must be mentioned for his pure passion for the game and also for his excellent skills. He was a very difficult foe and could easily be reckoned as one of the top players in our IH field. Zhi Yang is yet another young player who joined us this year and is another player to be recognised for his strong grasp of chess knowledge through books. His prior training served him as a good guide to others in terms of theory and battle experience. Hong Han another young player who just joined added to the armada of the C Chess team. His amazingly strong skills made him a surprise trump card in the competition and completed our team perfectly. Lastly, credit has to be given to our stalwart Wen Yuan who as a senior showed a great example to the juniors with his diligence in the trainings even to the wee hours of the morning. His continually sharpened sword over the years also sliced through opponents easily making him one of the unbeaten in the whole competition. However, we could never have done it without the support and friendship of our seniors and other Rec players. Thanks to seniors like Song Teck and Kai Leong for continually giving us guidance. Thanks to the other Rec players from the other games for their love and support. The suppers and talks we had will never be forgotten. Yet, before we forget, what is a good team without teachers. What makes it even more amazing is when the mentors have graduated long ago. Kudos to our captain for helping us look for such great mentors. Thanks to Fuming for coming down hard on us and correcting our skills with such zest. His true passion for the game was showed as he continually trained the players not just to be good for IH but also to truly love the game and look beyond the narrow scope of IH. His passion for the game is especially testament as he was not even a graduate of NTU let alone Hall 2. Another mentor which must be thanked was Kirby who guided with a softer yet firm hand. His slightly warped sense of humor

also often left us rolling on the ground. Being a grand senior of Hall 2 C Chess team, he strived hard to uphold the traditions that we were Champions. It was a great experience working with these two mentors and heartening to see them sacrifice their own leisure time for the team. It was especially touching when Fuming came down on the first day. Thank you mentors, we have not let you down. We must also give thanks to the JCRC who has continually given our team all the support we need. Thanks for bearing with our nonsense all the way to the competition and in all the coordination necessary to make this dream possible. However, before we end, there are two very important people which must be thanked. They are our beloved Rec Secs, Joshua and Yuhui. They have done so much in the coordination of the IHRG which eventually made it all possible. Seeing them toil, stay up late during countless meetings and struggle to attend every single game during IHRG is testament of their zest and hard work they have put in. Thank you guys, we couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have done it without you. It was a hard battle, a difficult fight. Yet we reached the semis with our heads held high. Though we eventually lost out to the reigning champion of many years, Hall 9, we only lost by a margin of 1.53.5. This showed us that even giants could be toppled. It was time for Hall 2 to rise again and fight for the next IH. It was time to add another star onto our crest. It was time to WIN.

International Chess “Chess is 99 percent tactics.” -- Richard Teichmann Having only achieved preliminary standings for IHRG last year, the aim for the team was to improve our rankings. It is a lot to ask for as Chess is a game that is not easy to teach. In spite of the odds, I would say that the Chess team of Year 10/11 is determined to surpass our limits. That determination is shown in our willingness to train hard every week. And more often than not, while most people are fast asleep, we are still pushing hard to improve our game. And believe it, we can train beyond 2 am. Wen Yuan, our most senior player in Chess, commended us as he said that the number of times we trained in 1 semester is more than 3 years put together. It is also heart-warming to receive support from our alumni, Andrew Jonathan. An experienced Chess player himself, his presence and expertise motivated us to be the best we can be. For this year’s IHRG I Chess, our hard work bore fruit. We improved our rankings from last year to Quarter-Finalists, with a decent score of 4 wins out of 7. Our victories over Hall 12, 15 and 16 were relatively calm and peaceful. However, our match against Hall 11, a hall with strong opponents, was the most heated battle ever. During the match itself, we were fighting to the very last minute for the tie-breaker. It was like a reality show that gave its viewers a lot of tension, suspense and adrenaline rush (except this was over the chessboard). In the midst of the excitement, we managed to outsmart the final opponent with some tactical manoeuvres, thus gaining a 3 ~ 2 victory over them. Alas, our losses to Halls like 1, 6 and 10 have shown us that there is still room for improvement. We may have lost 3 of our matches, but it steels us to fight hard to redeem ourselves next year. Each member of the team is an asset and I would like to take this opportunity to thank the following for their enthusiasm and spirit in making our achievements possible. Wen Yuan: Though you are in your final year, I am grateful for your presence during training sessions. Your knowledge and skills in Chess is indeed an asset to the team. All the best in your future endeavours after you graduate. Sin Loong: I see potential in you to raise your standard further, if you continue to train hard. Your excellent background as a Chinese Chess player serves you well. Turn it to your advantage. Zi Yang: Your enthusiasm for Chess is evident in that you ask a lot of questions regarding openings, tactics, strategies and endgames. I admire that trait and continue to keep up that spirit for the coming years. Mervyn: Although you came in to the team later due to your Wei Qi commitments, I am thankful for training alongside with us and catching up as fast as you could within such a short time. Good job! Zack: The Chess tanker for IHG (100% win for your matches). Your prior experience and passion in Chess is immeasurable and I have much to learn, even as a seasoned player myself. May you continue to do your best for I Chess in the next few years of University life. Sylvia: The only woman of the team. With your background in bridge, you are able to grasp Chess concepts quite easily. Keep up

By Ng Thai Ee the good work. I see some potential to be an excellent Chess player if given time and proper training. Budding Chess Players: It is a pity that IHRG allows us to field a maximum of seven players. (Wish they allowed us to field more) However, I believe in you guys and given time and consistent effort, you will shine as chess players eventually. Rec Secs (Joshua and Yuhui): The moral support given by you two is more than I can ask for. Thanks for providing the logistics and also booking the Rec Room for us, so that we can have a peace of mind when training. For those whose names are not mentioned, fret not. I acknowledge your support, in one way or another. As I am in my final year, I would like to take this opportunity to write something for the team before I graduate. To the Hall 2 Chess Team I am grateful to have crossed paths with the Chess Team of 10/11. Playing Chess with you all is not just about playing for IHG. Rather, we were immersed in the spirit of Chess, where we discussed about strategies and ways to improve our game. It is because of you all that I truly enjoy Chess more than anything else. I am grateful for being assigned the role of Captain / Manager for the Hall 2 Chess team. Most people think of it as just a post with responsibilities. To me, it is a duty to maintain the team culture and spirit for the current year and beyond. If time could be reversed, I will be more than willing to take up the post again. I am happy for you guys as we have managed to improve our standings this year. Keep this up for next year and I have absolute faith and confidence that we will be able to push beyond QuarterFinals. How far you want to push lies in how resolute you are for next year. For this IHG season, I will never forget the exhilaration and adrenaline rush that I experienced when we were fighting against Hall 11. It serves to remind me of my passion towards Chess, dedication towards the team and more importantly, for Hall 2. Sadly, I am in my final year. I really will miss saying “Watch out for that square!” I am leaving it to you guys to carve the future of Hall 2 Chess and farewell, my fellow teammates. It is not easy for me to say this, especially so to a team that gave me memories worth remembering a lifetime.

Snooker

By Jerome Yip

In this year's IHRG, Hall 2 was matched against Hall 13, 15, 16 and 9. On our first day of competition, we did not know what to expect but we went into the competition with an open mind and a positive mindset. Our players that made the core of the team were Dennis, Jerome, Yio Kiang, Royston, Wilson, Tony, Cheryl and Ray. Our first opponent was against Hall 13. The team managers Jerome and Dennis made sure that our players played a tactical game, going for a swift victory. In the four-ball matches, our player, Tony managed to take the game with much ease, leaving the rest to the snooker players. Our players, Dennis and Yio Kiang managed to win their set, bringing us to the next round. In our second stage, we were facing Hall 15 as they were the winner of their set in group B. Hall 15 had good players but we were determined to win. Winning this match was important, as it would take us to the quarterfinals. In four-ball, we fought hard but had lost both matches to their IVP players. In order to make it to the quarter-finals, our 3 snooker players had to win all of their games. There was immense pressure on them, but we kept our composure and fighting spirit. Both Dennis and Wilson had won their rounds, leaving the victory to the last player, Royston. In the deciding snooker match, there was a nervousness that both Hall 2 and Hall 15 players and supporters felt that was filling up the room. Royston played a tactical game, initially gaining the lead hoping to gain some momentum and dampen the spirits of the opponent. However, the opponent was not thrown off by Royston's game and managed to catch-up towards the middle of the game. During our last 2 cues, Hall 15 had overtaken us and had given Royston a very bad position on the cue ball, making a winning shot seemed impossible. Just then, lady luck shined upon Royston and unexpectedly he had managed to pocket the ball and scored! We had taken back the lead and managed to finish off on top of hall 15! The mood in the atmosphere was ecstatic and we were through to the quarterfinals.

Scrabble

by Lim Jia Chang

Our scrabble team this year was made up of mostly freshies. Despite our lack of experience, we made up for it by working hard. Two-letter word lists replaced lecture notes. Words like „faqir‟ and „haoma‟ (?) became part of our vocabulary. We had to learn fast to prepare for the upcoming IHRG. Our team manager, Hendrick had prior experience playing for his secondary school team. He was committed to the weekly trainings and provided us with valuable strategies and tips. During the IHRG, we met stiff competition on the form of more experienced and skilled players. However we put up a tough fight and made the other teams fight for every point won. Our senior players also provided much-needed wins in their respective games. At the end of the day, it is important to remember that Scrabble is a game that is meant to be enjoyed. We certainly enjoyed ourselves this past year and look forward to next season. On behalf of the team, I would like to thank the supporters who came down during our matches and hope to see you next year.

In the quarterfinals, we were matched up against Hall 16. They were strong opponents, due to their many IVP players on their team. Once again, lady luck had it our way and many of their IVP players had left, except one. After much deliberation and thought, team manager Jerome decided to go against the only IVP player for the 4 ball game and to "sacrifice" himself, to pave the way for the other players. The other players for that day included Ray, Yio Kiang and Tony, each winning their set, bringing Hall 2 to the semi-finals! Victory was in sight and it was a day to remember in Hall 2's history. In the semi-finals, we had to go head to head with Hall 9, wellknown for their recreational games. We knew we had ourselves, a formidable opponent and played to the best of our ability. In our first 2 games, 1 four-ball and 1 snooker match, Tony and Yio Kiang had decided to pit themselves against the opponents from Hall 9. The opponents from hall 9 were indeed strong and although both our players had lost, they managed to put up a terrific fight. For the last game deciding game, it had come down to a four-ball match that rested on the shoulders of our player Jerome. Pushing on to a great start, Jerome managed to take the lead and giving no chance to the opponent. The match was intense as towards the middle, both Jerome and the opponent had made great shots and the score was toe to toe. In the very last cue, the score was slightly in Hall 8's favour and it was Jerome's turn to shoot. The shot was difficult and it was looking bleak for us. In a turn of events, Jerome managed to score the shot and we were only 1 more pocket shot away from winning Hall 9! However, the second shot was unsuccessful and Hall 8 was into the finals. Although Hall 2 did not manage to make it to the finals, we were grateful for being semi-finalists this year. Every player on the team gave their best and managed to take Hall 2 all the way from preliminaries to the semi-finals. This has indeed been a remarkable journey and we will train harder and come back next year as the champions!

WeiQi

By Mervyn Lim

What is Weiqi? Perhaps most people would have heard of such a strangely named game but only a handful would truly understand the order amidst the chaos of black and white on the board as two players twist and turn in their chairs trying to outwit one another in the most abstract of recreational games known to mankind. It would have seemed like this particular recreational game has faded into the background as Hall 2 was recognized instead, for its expertise in sports. Needless to say, previous records of performance in this area were almost non-existent. This year however, marked a change in the history of Hall 2 for I would dare quote from our dear Recreational Secretary, Yuhui, she believed that Hall 2‟s recreational games can be equally “IMBA”, (in which case is a form of e-gaming slang to mean imbalanced for the clueless). As such, this year‟s Weiqi team struck out to make history with a vengeance. The team‟s formation seemed to be pretty haphazard on first impression, having accepted everyone who had the tiniest bit of knowledge on the game. But little did the team know that they were gifted individuals. It took some as little as two weeks to be able to play a decent game and within a month, even I, the captain, was given a run for my money by some of the players. Like any other team, we had our troubles - busy schedules in school and other commitments; and yet the team still did their best to train at least once a week. Particular mention goes to two of the most committed players, Toh Honghan and Sharon Tang for diligently attending almost every other training session, be it with the School Weiqi Team, attending classes by external coaches in and outside of school or even the friendly matches with Hall 11, you would never fail to see them putting in 100% in whatever they do. Sure enough, these two talents even made it into the school‟s junior team after just one semester! The battle at IHRG was all the more even exciting, to which spectators present could testify. In the same grouping as the team were some of the more reputed teams and the team were already expecting a tough fight on its hands. As this team of underdogs fought on, we emerged stronger than ever after every round and left a lasting impression on all its opponents. By the end of day one, there were already rumors of other halls wanting to “poach” our players. Day two came and the team continued our relentless fight to secure a semi-finals placement. The team fought with such vigor that even our previous opponent, Hall 11 was rooting for us. However, that placement was to prove elusive still as we lost out to Halls 1 and 6 in a three-way double tie-breaker when we lost out by a mere one game point. Nonetheless, we‟ve achieved quarterfinals scores and the team is definitely hungry for more in the next IHRG. All in all, the team had performed spectacularly and all this couldn‟t have been possible without the passion, perseverance and dedication of each and everyone in the team. To the team that made history, Bernard Chng, Pang Sin Loong, Toh Honghan, Sharon Tang, Edison Lau, Tan Wenyuan, this is for you. Finally, not forgetting our dear Recreational Secretaries, Joshua and Yuhui, for being our unsung heroes, working tirelessly in the background to make sure that everything that we needed would always be available for us so training and IH could be as smooth as possible. Cheers. =)