OPINION
Vol. 5, Issue 2 NEWS Friday, September 2, 2016 A Summer Makeover Yale-NUS College, Singapore FEATURES www.theoctant.org Lizzie, and Her Uncontested Destiny
OPINION Student Government Elections: A Problem With a Fresh Start Rethinking Makeup as a Tool for Creativity, and Creativity as Beautiful
FOMO: The Good Kind ARTS Of Dinosaurs and Uncle-G The Aftermath of My Toilet
STUDENT GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS : The second Student Government’s term ends September 9th.
a problem with a fresh start story | Enkhzul Badral, Managing Editor image | Bozy Lu
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n January and February of 2015, Yale-NUS College had its first Student Government elections. I published an article entitled, “Embarrassing Election Campaigns Endanger Our Future.” It was a call for candidates to have more serious campaigns; a call to put our best foot forward, so to speak. While my last article was a criticism of election campaign posters specifically, this year I’m concerned with candidates’ experience and competency. We’ve now had two governments to learn and grow from, so I have the highest expectations for its third iteration. However, I hesitated earlier today when I logged into Canvas to cast my vote. This year presents a unique set of problems for the incoming Council to navigate, and the current campaign period signals a rocky transition. Under the operating principle of ‘Effectiveness’ on their website: “Student Government shall address all feedback received, and will vigorously represent student concerns to all administrative arms.” A necessary condition of receiving feedback to address is having a student body who trusts that the Council will be effective and has confidence that relevant issues will be resolved. I hesitate because out of the 18 students running for Council, more than half are first-years. Hence, it’s likely that the majority of those in Government will not have had past experience working with the Yale-NUS administration. They will not have sufficient experience as students of Yale-NUS to inform their actions. I share the same worry as Regina Marie Lee ’18, outgoing President of Student Government: “[First years] may not have their finger on the pulse of what matters to students.” The election forum held on Aug. 25 gave candidates a platform to clarify their visions. Three candidates knew they would not be able to make the forum and thus recorded a video
in place of speaking at the event. Another five candidates did not show at all—all members of the Class of 2020. Tee Zhuo ’18, a member of the first Student Government and Convenor of the Constitution Review Committee said that “I think there is a higher expectation that you should attend the forum if you have only been in the school for three weeks and you wish to let the student populace know what kind of candidate you are.” Another concern following the forum is that newer candidates were not adequately familiar with the content of the constitution. Some suggestions made by candidates were redundant and already accounted for; other candidates did not know the number of branches within the Government. Ideally, there would be a proportionate representation of candidates from each class. In this scenario, the student body’s confidence in the student government would be markedly higher than in reality because there would be a more diverse and exhaustive experience to draw from. But given our ostensibly first-year dominated government, we will need to rely heavily on students who already understand how the school operates. While the lack of knowledge about the Constitution, poor forum turnout, and vague campaign platforms give me pause, they ultimately don’t undermine my confidence in the first-year members as long as the leadership within Student Government is held by upperclassmen. In the next two days before the first round of elections ends, take some time to make your own decision about who has the most relevant experience. If you don’t know, highly consider the ‘no vote’ option rather than arbitrarily ranking people you haven’t even met. And please, don’t let voter fatigue settle in before you make an informed decision about Vice-President and President. SEPTEMBER 2, 2016 | 1
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Rethinking
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y t p i u v e i k t a a beautiful M cre as a
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don’t wear much creative makeup anymore. I miss it, but I can’t be bothered to deal with the backlash, the rolled eyes, misinterpretations of low self-esteem, etc. In fact, I have to feel particularly confident to don the bold looks I like to create, and still, I almost feel ashamed—how could I rationally defend putting myself up for scrutiny and backlash again? There is a tendency to expect, and I argue, prefer makeup that conceals its very existence such that it looks like one is not wearing any at all, but ineffably glowing. This I call natural makeup. I contrast this against any makeup style that deviates from this sense of realism in a conscious and bold manner that is unusual or in some other way striking. This, I call creative makeup. It is often marked by bold liners and striking colors, but is ultimately defined by one’s own motivation for the design. Such motivations often include intellectualizing and visualizing an artist’s emotion, or ‘going for a certain vibe.’ I used to cringe at the thought of natural makeup. I viewed one’s desire to pass off as naturally looking like an enhanced version of oneself as ‘fake’, or ‘boring’ at best. Sometimes, I still recoil at the lack of creativity when I, weary of the misattribution of personality traits (superficial) and lifestyle habits (clubber), stick to a neutral palette of just three colors: browns, blacks and a bit of pink. I know, harsh. But such was my retaliation against a restricted sense of beauty; one that I have been told to pursue rather than being compelled to, all for the name of being accepted. In my mind, there was no such distinction as everyday makeup and creative makeup; every day I wanted to play with the striking blues, reds and greens reserved for models in magazines. Despite vanity being sinful and creativity being ostensibly valued in an era of fashion marked by individual style, the desire to look attractive is more acceptable than the desire to be creative. While I mostly wear makeup for myself, a part of me wears makeup for others, simply not for the reasons they would expect: to challenge and expand their concept of beauty. While saying that I wear makeup for myself might excuse my deviations from others’ concepts of beauty, eliciting a ‘you-do-you’ kind of attitude, it does not change the systemic discrimination against people who don creative makeup. My problem with this is twofold: Firstly, wearing makeup, no matter how bold or unusual, should not need to be excused; secondly, if the sole purpose of makeup is the enhancement of one’s looks, we preclude anything that does not align with one’s natural-born features from being considered beautiful. Isn’t our own inability to access certain kinds
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story | Liz Thai, Guest Contributor image | Isabel Fang
of beauty the very reason we sometimes dismiss it? Yet, through the appreciation of a restricted normative use of makeup we are perpetuating the inaccessibility of non-mainstream beauty. Natural beauty itself is too often drawn from a narrow concept of acceptable mainstream beauty, and often biased towards Western standards. A disproportionate number of top models globally as well as in Asia have Euro-centric features—even Asia’s Next Top Model is over-represented by Eurasians. In judging makeup by its ability to assist us in conforming to a mainstream concept of beauty, we turn makeup from a tool of self-expression to one of societal oppression. In accepting the limits on beauty set by the fashion industry and social norms, we reify their systemic discrimination against those who do not fit within these limits. We cannot simultaneously blame the fashion industry and social norms for excluding us from feeling beautiful while we do the same to others. I understand the importance of being sensitive to one’s environment, especially in the context of work where the pressure to adhere to specific (and often more conservative) requirements for appearance form part of one’s perceived professional responsibility. Some have argued that at school, they would like to focus on intellectual expression rather than physical appearances. I am not sure how this is at odds with wearing makeup and would in fact add that there is a symbiotic it seems that there is no appropriate context for donning creative makeup except for the comfort of one’s own home. Why must creative makeup be relegated to the private sphere? We recognize the creativity of other forms of (bodily) artistry such as tattoos, piercings and alternative hairstyles. makeup is not even afforded the artistic status to be able to provoke or reflect political change. makeup is like modern art, but without the benefit of assumed intellectual standing: pretty at best and complete rubbish at worst, but always empty. The insult is made worse when the face is the canvas of rubbish and the person behind it is condemned for not only bad taste, but also bad moral character—the grossly extrapolated insult of being ‘whore-like’ is as much defined by appearance as by any act. To give an example, a friend recently remarked that a girl wearing heavy makeup looked like a whore, with the implication that the essence of what made her whore-like lay in the over-the-top makeup she was wearing and not any sexual history he was SEPTEMBER 2, 2016 | 2
OPINION / CLOCKWORK
What’s happening on campus? Love the Gov?: After a comparatively serious elections campaign, Yale-NUS College’s third student council was elected on Friday, September 2. While the results weren’t released when The Octant went to press, the Presidential campaign is set to start on Monday, Sept. 5 with voting taking place three days later on Thursday, Sept. 8.
aware about. The viewer’s own lack of sophistication and failure to appreciate is not even an option. If my last article was about being able to wear makeup and others being able to tolerate it, then this one is about being able to fully explore makeup and others being able to interpret it. Beauty should not be limited to mimesis and people should allow themselves to be enriched by the unexpected and the unusual. If we are to take artistic status to lie in intention, then yes, sometimes makeup is not art. But, why impose this role on makeup rather than look for ways to expand our concept of beauty and find it in unexpected places? My point is that before judging others for not conforming to our expectations of beauty, we should check ourselves and ask how we can expand our definition of beauty to meet theirs. We don’t have to find everything beautiful, but the point is to not let our conceptions of beauty be limited by society’s narrow definition. For this way, the world becomes a more beautiful place, both in thought and in appearance.
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Back with a Splash: The Inter Faculty Games continue this weekend, with Yale-NUS set to compete in a number of sports. Congratulations to the international chess and road relay teams who secured second and third places respectively. Best of luck to all our athletes!
Hazed and Confused: It’s that time of year again when Singapore becomes engulfed by a thick grey smog originating from nearby forest fires. Over the week the Pollutants Standards Index (PSI) reached “unhealthy” levels and is set to do so again over the weekend according to the Air Quality Index. Free masks will be available at the college offices if the PSI exceeds 200, but let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.
Remembering Barney Bate: On Friday, August 26, a memorial service was held for Professor Bernard Bate, or Barney, as he preferred to be called. One of the founders of Yale-NUS’s anthropology major and a close friend to many at the college, Barney Bate passed away in March 2016, while on sabbatical. In his memory, Yale-NUS has established the Bernard Bate Prize which members of the community can gift donations to.
In Memoriam: Former Singaporean President S R Nathan died peacefully on August 22, after suffering a stroke in July. He was laid to rest at the University Culture Centre on Friday, August 26. Speaking on behalf of YaleNUS, President Pericles Lewis penned an open letter to his survivors, Mrs S R Nathan and family, expressing the College’s condolences.
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(It is okay to fear missing out.) story | Ryan Yoong, Contributing Reporter image | Lucy Kuo
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t Yale-NUS College, where opportunities are as common as posters in the lifts, it’s easy to be consumed by the fact that we could potentially be missing out on what our peers are up to. Even outside the confines of the College, the Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO), is so prevalent that it has essentially become the successor of its older counterpart, You Only Live Once (YOLO). With that in mind, it’s safe to say that most of us here have a deeply ingrained case of FOMO even if we don’t realise it. Our time is limited, and inevitably we are unable to do a whole list of things everyday—a constant struggle. Being a first-year, it struck me that the term had negative connotations. From constant warnings by my Dean’s Fellow to a long discussion about it with an advisor, I’ve always wondered—why are people so up in arms about it? The anxiety that an exciting event may be happening elsewhere often haunts us because of our addiction to social media (refer to Look Up by Gary Turk). But somehow, FOMO goes beyond that. It has become more than just scrolling through your Twitter or Instagram feeds—it’s the need to somehow remain connected. It is about keeping in sync with the pulse of the institution. We think we all want the same thing, and derive the same pleasure from a similar set of activities. But it shouldn’t be the case. We make active choices everyday with regard to what we want to do and how we spend our time, so why not use FOMO to guide us through this elusive search for ourselves? It is okay to fear missing out when it’s for something you love to do. Let this fear empower you. Embrace the fact that Ultimate Frisbee is something you are afraid you’ll miss every week or that Indomie in the buttery is something you might crave between a study break. Let it guide, not constrict. It is okay to fear missing out when you think something will be good for your personal development. Make sure to weigh your pros and cons first. We often tend to neglect the things that we believe have no direct concern to us, but we must consider the benefits that could come from anything and everything. So go for that Birthday Bash even if it’s not your birthday, or watch that whole lamb roast because, who knows, you might meet your future spouse or your next best friend. SEPTEMBER 2, 2016 | 3
OPINION / NEWS
It is okay to fear missing out when you’re faced with an opportunity to delve into something new. Experiences are something we highly value and here at Yale-NUS we are faced with plenty of them. Try that Zumba class, go for that Tchoukball session, or apply to be that research assistant for a professor. You might love it—if not, at least you would’ve had fun jamming out, meeting fellow Tchoukball newbies, and maybe learning something unusual about your professor. At worst, you would’ve found something you don’t love, and even that has value too. While I believe that the positive case for FOMO outweighs the negative one, I do acknowledge that there are
certain instances in which you should not succumb to it. Don’t let yourself run out of steam. Someone recently likened the lifestyle here to a marathon rather than a sprint and I believe this to be particularly true. If you’re swamped with writing assignments due in the coming week, don’t insist on trying that Zumba class this time—there’ll be plenty more in the future. However, if being busy is what you enjoy, then by all means, flaunt that superpower many wish they had. To everyone telling themselves to contain their inner FOMO, I say, embrace it because opportunities like the ones we have here rarely come about again.
a summer m ake o ve r th e D i n i n g H a l l ' s N ew Fo o d C o u n ter story | Calvin Yeo, Contributing Reporter
image | Xuerui Yang
Student waiting to be served at the Muslim Counter in Yale-NUS dining hall.
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t the start of the school term, all of Yale-NUS College’s dining halls reopened with a new counter serving only Halal certified food. While many praise the initiative, concerns have been raised by some students regarding the counter’s implementation. The Dean of Students Office announced the introduction of the dedicated counter via email on August 3, 2016. It came as a part of other enhancements made to the dining halls over the summer. The Octant spoke to Zoe Peters, Associate Director, Dean of Students Office, to learn more about the change. Ms. Peters explained that the change was made to provide Halal certified food while continuing to promote communal dining. According to the Administration of Muslim Law Act (AMLA), the word “Halal” can only be used if the whole servery is serving Halal certified food. “This is the reason for displaying “Muslim Friendly” at the counter. The dining hall committee welcomes any other [naming] suggestions,” she said. This change has been met with a mixed reaction from students that The Octant interviewed. Students broadly welcomed the move as part of building an inclusive community. Al Lim ’19 said that he understood that it “is important for Muslims ... [to have] access to Halal [certified] food across 4 | SEPTEMBER 2, 2016
the three dining halls.” Maleyka Mammadova ’20, a Muslim student, also praised the efforts made to cater to different religious practices. However, students raised concern over the implementation of the food counter. Mammadova commented on the odd way the counter was labeled, saying “it should be labeled as Halal [certified] rather than Muslim friendly.” Others also expressed concern over the use of disposables. Adila Sayyed ’19, said that the usage of disposable plates complicates existing sustainability measures when “these plates are being disposed of into the Food Waste Bin [which is meant for composting].” Further, Tan Weiliang ’18, President of the Yale-NUS Sustainability Movement (I’dECO), said that it is disheartening to see the College “utilizing unsustainable practices especially since it is the recipient of the BCA Green Mark Platinum Award.” While he expressed support for the rationale behind the new counter, he hoped that the school would turn to more environmentally friendly measures. The inconvenience of having two plates have also seemed to increase food wastage. Saif Kakakhel ’18, said that he was “not willing to throw a plate away every time [he] took food from the counter and ended up avoiding it altogether.” Despite all this, students interviewed remain hopeful for future developments. Jeremy Yew ’20, said that “I understand that this is a
NEWS / OPINION
a temporary measure and hope for a more sustainable long-term solution.” Maria Ivanenko ’17, said she hoped that the dining hall could come up with a solution that would be “something similar to RC4.” This referred to using colored plates to prevent cross-contamination, something Daniel Ng ’18 also suggested. Some also suggested standardizing the layout of all three dining halls. Vrinda Sood ’20 suggested placing the Halal-certified counter first, saying that it would be “easier for students [who do not want Halal-certified food] to skip and go onto the next counter.”
In response to concerns raised by students, Emmanuel Tan, Assistant Vice President of Projects, Singapore Food Industries, said that the dining hall would be introducing new measures at the counter to reduce wastage while continuing to prevent cross-contact. Starting September 5, 2016, all students will have the option to use cornware or communal dishware when they approach the counter. All these are done to ”promote communal dining while catering to the different religious and dietary requirements of the students,” said Mr. Tan. Hazirah Helmy ’19, a Muslim student who has been working with Ms. Peters, said that in the meantime the committee “really need[s] the student body’s support and understanding to resolve this while … we figure out a more sustainable long-term solution.” Ms. Peters said that being able to serve both Halal and non Halal certified food together in a buffet setting was “not a common practice” and emphasised the need to comply with official regulations. She encouraged students with feedback or queries to get in touch via email or approach Christopher Stefanik, of the Dining Hall Committee, every Tuesday between 4 to 5 pm at Cafe Agora. Muslim Counter at Yale-NUS’s dining hall
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story | Jasmine Su, Contributing Reporter image | Rachel Juay
Contested Destiny
s the new semester kick-starts for students at Yale-NUS College, elevators were once again inundated with posters on topics ranging from welcome teas to job opportunities. Amid the confusion, a petition poster featuring a photo of a black and white cat could easily be spotted. Her name is Lizzie, and complaints from faculty members and the Infrastructure team have amounted to her potential removal from campus. In response, 285 members of the community signed a petition in opposition to her relocation. Controversies surrounding Lizzie’s status on campus first emerged when Eugene Tan, Senior Manager of the Infrastructure Team, chanced upon Lizzie around the Multipurpose Hall shortly before the First-Year Assembly on Aug. 5th, 2016. Having never seen Lizzie before and thus mistaking her for a stray cat, Mr. Tan initiated a spontaneous conversation with one of Lizzie’s caretakers, Adlin Zainal ’17, as they “both saw the cat”. Under the presumption that no student was taking care of Lizzie, Mr. Tan told Zainal that “we will probably remove the cat ... if no one is taking care of [it].” Mr. Tan explained that “if it’s a stray cat, we would usually proceed with calling the AVA [the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore]”, but he also mentioned to Zainal during their conversation that finding Lizzie a caretaker is another solution. In response to the perceived plans to relocate Lizzie, Daryl Yang ’18, Adlin Zainal ’17, who declined to comment, and Darrel Chang ’19 President of the Yale-NUS Association for the Protection of Animals from Cruelty (YAPAC), launched an online petition. In a Facebook post published on Aug. 10 in the Yale-NUS College Students group, Chang said that the Infrastructure Team’s decision to send Lizzie to AVA is both problematic and unfair. He said AVA’s policies were anthropocentric and noted that AVA will sentence Lizzie to death. Chang, in a separate statement provided
The petition to keep Lizzie on campus received 285 signatures. SEPTEMBER 2, 2016 | 5
OPINION / ARTS
to The Octant in his capacity as a student and not as President of YAPAC, he said that it is “incredibly selfish for people to think that we have the license to go about plucking animals from their homes.” During an interview with The Octant, Mr. Tan said that his main concern with unfed stray cats is that they “rummage through bins”, causing hygiene issues. According to Mr. Tan, there was no follow-up from Zainal after their conversation on Aug. 5th. He was thus caught by surprise when informed of the petition seemingly “against the Infrastructure Team”. Mr. Tan clarified that had he been aware that some students were feeding Lizzie regularly, he would not have proposed her relocation. “We are not heartless people. If somebody is taking care of the cat, it’s fine with us,” he said. On Aug. 16th, Zainal published a post in the Yale-NUS College Students Facebook group informing the college that Lizzie would be allowed to stay. According to Zainal, Brian McAdoo, Rector of Elm College, spoke with Mr. Tan and reached an agreement that the infrastructure team would not touch Lizzie. Following the confirmation, Neil Clarke, Rector of Cendana
College voiced his concern to the NUS Cat Café. Dr. Clarke wrote to the group pointing out that starting from a few weeks ago, Lizzie had displayed aggression toward his labradoodle, Pedro. “On three separate occasions in the last ten days that cat has rushed at my dog amidst a lot of screeching,” he said. In the email Dr. Clarke wrote that he would not contact AVA unless actual contact was made between Lizzie and Pedro, but if it happened he would not hesitate to do so. Apart from the rising tension between Pedro and Lizzie, Dr. Clarke said that “a cat—like a dog—should be the responsibility of an individual or family, not a ‘community’.” Nonetheless, Dr. Clarke said that the opposition to Lizzie’s removal is “completely understandable” and clarified that “many students and staff—not just those who own the pets— enjoy having them around. The challenge is to strike a balance.” Following Dr. Clarke’s complaint, Lizzie’s caretakers, the Infrastructure team, faculty members and NUS Cat Café agreed to find Lizzie an interim fosterer and are looking to find her a forever home.
of dinosaurs and Uncle-G singapore night festival
story | Terence Anthony Wang, Arts Editor images | Nguyen Thao Ngan
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Two dinosaurs, one commanded by a masked performer on its back, face off in battle.
y photographer and I were in a crowd, and a big one at that. Auxiliary policemen in reflective jackets puffed whistles, helping us navigate the maze of roadblocks and uneven surfaces. The white noise of disorganized chatter and screeching tires gave way to a rising bass pumping in the distance. We were at Singapore’s annual Night Festival, and it was one very happening neighborhood. Now in its 9th edition, the Singapore Night Festival first started in 2008 as a relatively simple yet fascinating affair. It had eight different programs, ranging from an overseas arts
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troupe (Studio Festi) performing dance and acrobatics to musical performances by the Fusion Quartet and the late Paul Ponnudorai, fused with a dash of theater by the Happy Puppetry Company. Today, with a theme of “Inventions and Innovations”, it boasts roughly 40 acts from every genre imaginable, be it the staples of dance performances and art exhibitions all the way to creative new additions such as lip-sync battles and light shows. The festival brochure offered us three separate routes to help confused visitors like ourselves cover as much as possible in a single night. The first was charmingly named “I Jio You” with a
ARTS
description promising “romance marching thunderously towards a clearing nearby. These creatures and surprises”; the second was a gathered close, arranging themselves into one grand formation. more clinical “The Basic Unit As if to make themselves even more imposing, thunderous roars of Society”, focusing more erupted from them, one by one. It sent chills down our spines, on action; and the last was adding to the ominous atmosphere created by the bass pumping the intriguing “I Went to through the loudspeakers. Pointing themselves towards the Arts School”, with the crowd nearby, they then approached menacingly in a single lofty claim of being file, like mighty warriors off “thought-provoking” to war. We would later and “introspective”. learn that this spectacle Being complete rebels was called Invasion, with a primal attraction performed by street to loud pumping music, theater company we chose none of the above Close-Act. and simply followed the crowd. Screams The irony was not lost on us. of awe and Following the path of terror erupted least resistance led us to the from the crowd Festival Village, located as the dinosaurs on the Singapore marched close. We M a n a g e m e n t rushed headlong into the University Campus fray, now a complete wave Green. There were of chaos and movement. three main components Bodies clashed as people to this area: closest to tried simultaneously to the road was a stage which follow and get out was being set up for a band of the way of the performance, opposite was a dinosaurs, and we semi-circle row of food-andsoon had to give beverage stalls. The variety was up the chase and mind-boggling, with signs content ourselves advertising everything from with watching their Spanish paella to “Uncle light-studded tails G’s Handmade” (we swaying in the distance. discovered that this More gasps came from meant some very the audience behind, and enticing roast pork). we turned around to find Sandwiched between more unexpected visitors. the two were plenty of Three performers on beanbags, allowing visitors stilts, as tall as the to relax as they enjoyed dinosaurs, stood a performance, preferably in a V-formation with a snack or two in hand. in the middle The National Museum of of the crowd. From top to bottom, Singapore was across the road, They wore left to right: More masked so it naturally became our next masks that were giants join the battle, holding destination. As we drew close, intricately detailed yet contraptions resembling we spotted what appeared completely identical, loudhailers with torches built in; The to be a pack of dinosaurremoving all semblance masked individuals wait for the crowd like sculptures. They of identity, and their arms to clear before beginning their march; stood about 3 to 5 were stretched outwards from Exhibits from the gift shop; Scores of visitors meters tall, with scaly, their hips, fists clenched for battle. Proud and magnificent, enjoy refreshments on the benches and tables provided in the Festival Village; The brown skins of cloth they headed towards the dinosaurs in long, grand strides. group of dinosaurs gather together in and tinfoil covering With bated breath, we watched the mighty clash a circle; A masked performer rides them from head to toe, that we never knew we wanted, but were now all hungry a pterodactyl from the top of giving them a robotic feel. for. The dinosaurs roamed the crowd, lunging back and the National Museum to the To our complete shock and forth upon contact with their new adversaries. Were they ground. horror, the sculptures started to fighting? Were they dancing in unison? We could hardly tell. move. Their bodies swayed back and Without warning, we felt a sudden movement towards our left forth while their tails curled in and out. Then, like mummies coming and found ourselves face-to-face with one of the mighty creatures to life, they straightened their bodies to full height, and started themselves. Despite its size, it had managed to sneak up on us, and 7 | SEPTEMBER 2, 2016
FEATURES
it threateningly thrusted its scaly head down towards in a confrontation terrifyingly reminiscent of Jurassic Park, emanating raw, physical power. Thankfully, it decided to leave us alone. Cheers of “good show!” rose from the crowd as it wrapped up in a rousing blast of horns and drums. Indeed, we had plenty of praise for Close-Act’s success in using a combination of light, sound and of course, awe-inspiring props and costumes to strike fear and wonder in the hearts of the audience. This makes it a triumphant example of street performance art, as it would be particularly difficult to recreate such an atmosphere in any other medium. Our next and final stop, the National Design Centre, was where we found the theme of “Inventions and Innovations” to be most alive. The National Design Centre had a full range of exhibits, but we were pleasantly surprised by an unassuming gift shop on the first floor. Inside, we found a variety of unconventional exhibits, from 3D-printed sculptures to an internet-enabled mini-habitat, which provided real-time information about the ecosystem. A glowing T-shirt was displayed prominently on the counter, while a bobbing neon-blue lamp in the corner attracted a small crowd with its calming, jellyfish-like movements. Ms. Cathy Ooi, a community member, said that these exhibits were the result of a “community project of makers, entrepreneurs and designers” organized by One Maker Group (OMG). “[They] hold workshops regularly in the prototyping lab, where the public can learn various skills from woodwork to laser cutting to 3D-printing,” she said. While we were unable to access the prototyping lab, a peep inside revealed a clean workspace with rows of tools, workbenches and exotic-looking machinery. It was
EDITORIAL TEAM Editor-In-Chief Dave Chappell Managing Editor Justin Ong Managing Editor Enkhzul Badral News Editor Elaine Li News Editor Pham Le Vi Opinion Editor Yip Jia Qi Opinion Editor Aditya Karkera Arts Editor Neo Hui Yuan Arts Editor Terence Wang Zhe Wei Features Editor Yip Jie Ying Features Editor Nicholas Lua Swee Yang DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of The Octant. Questions can be directed to yncoctant@gmail.com
a maker’s dream through and through. Sequels are mostly unsatisfying prospects, each one a fading shadow of the last. The Singapore Night Festival, however, is rare proof that this does not always have to be. This year’s edition has left us not only with high hopes for the years to come but also with a sense that Singapore’s arts and design scene is a growing phenomenon that sees no sign of slowing down.
the aftermath of my toilet when you left, your hair clogged the sink again. it rises with the water, seaweed lungs breathing past every lover’s stain, yet planted into grime. my hands fear uprooting them, a reminder of my grass blade heart learning rain. Min Lim is a junior from Cendana College reading History. Her poems have been featured in Eunoia Review, and are forthcoming in OF ZOOS and SingPoWriMo 2016. Her works can be found on http://minlim.com
soon, the hair will swim beyond the sink. the tap will stop looking like your neck. i will be the drain choking you down. i won’t ask for a bigger bowl. i won’t ask fishes to come back.
Open call for poetry and prose submissions to ynclitcollective@gmail.com. For submission guidelines, please visit literarycollective.commons.yale-nus.edu.sg.
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Send your letter to the editors (maximum word count 150) to yncoctant@gmail.com by 5pm on Tuesday for the chance to have it published here next week.
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