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Dress Code Wars Continue By Isha Gera “You must dress according to your age, your pursuits and your objective in life.”
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he battle over what clothing is good for an individual and what is not often begins early, in adolescence. While elders prefer modesty, youngsters prefer a more appealing dress-code, one that attracts the attention of people around them. When two such contrasting mindsets prevail, should a dress code be enforced in tertiary institutions? This remains an unresolved question, and one that leads to a great deal of debate. “There is a young female student at my college who makes me feel uncomfortable because of the way she dresses. She is a very pretty young girl who I see a lot around the campus. She dresses very provocatively. Skin tight jeans, lacy tank tops, short shirts, skirts high above her knees.” How would you feel if the girl in the above discussion were you? You probably wouldn’t be very happy about it. This isn’t a gender-specific issue. Boys are equally conscious about how they present themselves to their peers
even though they pretend to be oblivious. This issue, first reported by The New Paper, was sparked off by a recent stern warning by Republic Polytechnic to all its students: “If you turn up for class wearing slippers, a short skirt or shorts, you may just be banned from attending lessons.” In her Yahoo blog, Angela Lim, a final year student
impressions do matter, more than ever. But is playing hardball by banning certain items of clothing and denying “offenders” a chance to attend class really the best way to tackle the issue?” As students pursuing higher education, one would expect them to be a model image of the career they are pursuing. However, students are finding it more
responsibility in details like clothing and personal appearance can only prove beneficial for one’s social image. “Keep your junk into the trunk” and come dressed in proper attire that is appropriate for class, as mentioned by the Straits Times Razor TV in a news video about this particular issue. Ronald Wong, Director of Office of Corporate Communications,
What’s Appropriate? ILLUSTRATION | Anshu Garodia at SMU questions the rather drastic method chosen to deal with the issue. She writes, “There is no denying the importance of dressing appropriately for school as a sign of respect for people and occasions, after all first
Dr. Su and Prof. Andersson unravel Master Plan. Page 5...
acceptable to wear nightclub attire and skimpy outfits to school, without pausing to consider- how their appearance affects their future. We are well aware of what presenting ourselves badly can do to our chances in life. Exercising
NTU Myths debunked. Pages 14-15...
Republic Polytechnic in an interview to Razor TV says that the main purpose of enforcing the dress code is to prepare the students for the working life. “Those who are against school uniforms are generally so
because they feel that it prevents self-expression and freedom of wardrobe. I prefer wearing shorts and slippers to school as it is more comfortable,” says Xin Tang, a Year 3 MSE student. On the other hand, those who are for uniforms, argue that school is not meant to be a place to flaunt your fashion sense but a place to learn. It is a place to gain knowledge, not appreciation of your attire. “There is a common mentality in support of school uniforms that girls who wear revealing clothing may distract boys from their studies,” says Xuah Phu, a Year 1 CE student. While this might not be the most apt description of the issue at hand, it surely brings up relevant questions. Such as, do people come to school to learn or to show off their fashionable clothes? Is this what a school has degraded to? College-going students need not necessarily have an enforced uniform or dress-code. A dresscode might prove a useful guide for those who are not sure about what the local culture expects from students. However, it is mostly up to students themselves to exercise a sense of responsibility and consciousness regarding how they present themselves in public with special emphasis on the place and social set-up.
Break boundaries and shine. Page 13...
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THE TRIBUNE NOVEMBER 2010
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NTU 2015 – Greener Pastures Ahead
By Isha Gera and Swaroop Sriram
The new and ambitious plans for NTU to make our university a different world in itself... “A successful university doesn’t function alone in the community as a separate organisation. Students, staff, parents and the management all work together to bring it to a certain level,” says NTU President, Dr. Su Guaning. “As one of the two largest public universities in Singapore, NTU is like a brain trust for our country. Our responsibility is to train the next generation so they have both breadth and depth of knowledge to contribute to Singapore’s economy and take on leadership positions in future,” he adds. In view of this, on Novemeber 16, NTU unveiled NTU 2015, a five year strategic plan which outlines how NTU will become a great global university by 2015. Under NTU 2015, NTU aims to establish five peaks of excellence – Sustainable Earth, New Media, Future Healthcare, New Silk Road, and Innovation Asia. This strategy aims to develop new areas that could power Singapore’s economy and equip the leaders of tomorrow with the tools needed to address future challenges. “New knowledge
is found in the interfaces between different disciplines. As education and research have a symbiotic relationship, NTU not only transfers knowledge to our students but we are also at the forefront of knowledge creation through our cutting-edge research,” said NTU Provost, Professor Bertil Andersson, who will be succeeding Dr. Su Guaning as NTU President next year. Five peaks of excellence NTU’s five peaks of excellence are inter-disciplinary, broad and inclusive of Sustainable Earth as its ‘Mount Everest’. Among the cutting edge research projects that NTU has undertaken in this area, the Artificial Leaf and Artificial Kidney projects respectively intend to mimic nature to produce clean energy and to treat water more efficiently. NTU and Rice University are also developing a green and energy-efficient electronic notepad called the I-Slate. “Developing an electronic notepad that is green requires very little energy to operate and that could even run on solar energy in future is in line with NTU’s emphasis on sustainability research. The research will not just help in the sustainability of our planet but the development of such sustainable, low-cost technologies will also help the poorer communities in the world to close the digital divide,” said Dr. Su Guaning. The interface between en-
Prof. Andersson and Dr. Su giving their views. gineering and medicine offers one of the most promising areas in Future Healthcare. NTU is setting up a medical school jointly with Imperial College London which will enrol its first fifty students in 2013. “The new medical school not only aims to train highly skilled doctors and healthcare experts but also make a deep impact on the innovation of medical devices and healthcare system as a whole,” said Prof. Andersson. As a university with strong art and media education foundation, NTU is well placed to develop New Media into a peak of excellence. This will also boost Singapore’s transformation into a global media city. A delighted
Dr. Su explaining The New Silk Road strategy. PHOTOS | Tadeus Gary Wijono
Year 2 IEM student Aparna J Nambiar exclaims, “It so turns out that every field of science in this generation is a mix of art and technology.” As for the New Silk Road, NTU’s Chinese heritage and international standing as a global university make it a unique knowledge hub that combines the best of the East and the West. The university also signed a memorandum of understanding with Tianjin Municipal Education Commission and SinoSingapore Tianjin Eco-city to set up the NTU Tianjin College. Scheduled to be opened in 2013, it will offer postgraduate courses in environmental and water technologies, digital animation, business and finance. Under Innovation Asia, NTU is developing a vibrant innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem across the university. NTU together with the Action Community for Entrepreneurship (ACE) is the founding member of the World Entrepreneurship forum – the first global think tank dedicated to entrepreneurs. With the aim of broadening the sphere of learning, NTU’s new medical students will also be taught subjects of engineering to enable them to use technology to help mankind. Students will be urged to take more ownership over their learning by exposing them to a wider range of subjects. On being questioned about what was in the works for NTU graduates, Prof Andersson said that the PhD intake would most likely be increased to promote
more research. Maria, a Year 3 Chemistry and Biological Chemistry student thinks that “This is a good step toward improvement. NTU should also hire highly qualified teachers so that knowledge and research can be balanced.” Prof. Andersson had also previously mentioned to Straits Times that newer facilities such as a pub, a theatre and restaurants will be made available to students on campus. A newer, more interactive system, replacing the current lecture-tutorial system, will be introduced as well. This new system aims to initiate an interactive classroom with smaller seminar rooms equipped with television sets for a digital learning environment. Ananya Roy, a Year 1 student supports the idea. “Classrooms equipped with smart boards will surely help professors deliver their content in an interesting yet professional manner,” she adds. The plan that will be most beneficial to students is perhaps the initiative to expand the halls of residence to fuel a more vibrant campus life. The planned increase will add 5000 more places to the current number of 9200 by 2015. Jane, a Year 1 Computer Science student, says “Steps to increase the number of halls of residences strengthens the belief that now my friends in Singapore will also be able to live on campus instead of travelling long distances every morning to school.” Surely, there’s a lot to look forward to for all of us at NTU!
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Waiting...
THE TRIBUNE
NOVEMBER 2010
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And Waiting. And Waiting Ever been to Canteen A at 12:30pm during a weekday and made it to the counters in anything less than a half-hour? Step into any canteen at lunch hour and you’re sure to have to wait at least 20 minutes till you get to order your food. Then the never-ending quest of finding a place to sit...
The ultimate test however is keeping your cool when you’re standing behind someone who lets in friends, and friends of friends, and the countless other acquaintances.
Cutting queues is discourteous, inconsiderate, unforgivable, and increasingly practised here at NTU. PHOTOS | Akhand Pratap Singh and Prithvi Raj Dameracharla
Exercise patience. Keep your cool. You’ll make it out of the chaos soon enough...
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THE TRIBUNE NOVEMBER 2010
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To Uphold Law, Maintain Order And Preserve Peace
By Radhika Vyas and Ankita Ann Jacob
The Singapore Police Force ensuring our safety in Singapore...
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e live in turbulent times. Homicides and burglaries, rapes and violence. We hear stories about crime happening every other day in different parts of the world. Here in Singapore as well,
However, the remarkable thing which stands out is the efficiency of the Singapore Police Force. Their immediate response to the recent mishaps is more than just commendable. The officers managed to arrest more than forty suspected gang members in an island-wide raid and are already using various strategies to handle street gangs, including delivering talks at schools.
representatives and the general citizens of Singapore. The police came down hard on gang members and anyone who resorted to violence, regardless of age, sex, or creed. While the attacks were not racially motivated, the young age of the culprits is certainly an issue. It is disturbing that such young people resort to violent means and are motivated to do so for
described as the largest manhunt ever launched in Singapore. In fact, the Singapore government had posted flyers all over the island and sent the picture of Mas Selamat via MMS to 5.5 million phone users in Singapore. This example further enforces the government’s exemplary actions to ensure the safety of its citizens and the upholding of its laws and principles.
3 ADM student feels safe in Singapore and she owes this to the efficiency of the SPF. “I feel so safe that I am confident nothing will happen to me even if I walk down a pitch-black alley at 3:00am”. Indeed, the efficiency and perfectionism that Singapore displays is always reassuring. The Law Enforcement Forces are an epitome of these very qualities as they carry out their function to establish safety and security in our every day lives. The Singapore Law Enforcement
Increased security outside a mall - one of the most populated areas on public holidays. PHOTO | Internet we hear of disturbing murders and family disputes turning ugly. Violence in public seems to be the latest trend. However, in view of the crime rates across the globe, Singapore is known to have one of the lowest intentional crime occurrence rates, with very few countries doing better. Who keeps us safe? None other than the Singapore Police Force who’ve been serving the nation and ensuring that law and order is enforced and maintained. Over the past week, over fifty suspects for various crimes have been arrested in Singapore. The crimes include robbery, graft, and the most prevalent: gang attacks.
On October 30, a 19-year-old polytechnic student, Mr. Darren Ng, was brutally murdered at Downtown East, Pasir Ris, by a gang. The Police claim that the reason for this gruesome act was “connected to gangrelated disputes involving the deceased, victims and assailants”. Following this case, on Nov 8, eight youths, armed with parangs and metal rods, went around attacking twenty innocent bystanders at Bukit Panjang. The event, which is referred to as the “Bukit Panjang slashings”, has resulted in rising tension amongst the civil defence forces, government
incomprehensible reasons. The police have clearly warned that “being of young age doesn’t shield you from the full brunt of the law. Criminal record is not something that can be easily erased and serving time in prison is also not easy, so be warned and stay away from gangs.” In the recent past there have been many cases where the strength, skills and responsiveness of the civil defence force have been tested repeatedly. This includes the case of Mas Selamat – Singapore’s most-wanted fugitive who escaped from detention on February 27, 2008. The search for him has been
Singapore’s tag line of a safe city is something the government and police forces have worked hard to not just achieve, but maintain. Their efforts to ensure that the citizens are safe are reflected on the statistics of crime rates. The Singapore Police Force’s official website has listed that “Crime has dropped by 4.5% in the first half of 2010 as compared to the same period last year.” This further portrays how the Singapore Police Force is abiding by its mission - to uphold the law, maintain order, and keep the peace in the Republic of Singapore. Lynn Ho, a Singaporean Year
Forces and especially the Singapore Police Force must be given due credit and recognition for the standards of law and order enforced in Singapore. Admittedly, in the face of recent crimes, our minds are not at ease. However, in today’s world, the occurrence of such dark and disturbing events is inevitable. Nevertheless, we can be sure we are in safe and responsible hands, as the Singapore Police Force works day in and day out to maintain a safe and secure environment for all of us, here in Singapore. We are safe, thanks to their ever-persevering efforts.
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THE TRIBUNE
Buzz Or Fizz?
By Radhika Vyas
SM Goh Chok Tong inspired the audience to step up and sustain Singapore’s buzz.
(The Singapore University of Technology and Design), a collaboration with Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Zhejiang University; and the newly developed animation
was thinking about: “Why are we doing all these things? Because we need talented people, both local and foreign, to create a global city of buzz.” However, Year 4 Aerospace
NOVEMBER 2010 He further elaborated that many National Servicemen sensed a lack of ownership towards Singapore. SM Goh believed that this was “dangerous for Singapore’s future”. He elaborated that “it will be a tragedy if our next generation is made up of... ‘Plasticine’ people”. This group of people do not engage
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he theme for this year’s ministerial forum, “Singapore: Global City of Buzz, Home for Us” was relevant to all students as they make their way in Singapore’s working world. This topic was addressed by Senior Minister (SM) Goh Chok Tong on October 29 at the Nanyang Auditorium. SM Goh accredited Singapore’s achievement to three critical building blocks: Singapore’s buzzing economy, vibrant lifestyle, and engaged citizenry. He elaborated that the island nation has come a long way from her turbulent past. Today, “Singapore is ranked the third most competitive economy in the world by the World Economic Forum”. This is due to the construction of several new educational infrastructures. These include the Biopolis at One North; the formation of a fourth university
SM Goh at the Ministerial Forum. PHOTO | Courtesy industry which houses Lucas Films, the production house of the Star Wars movie series. SM Goh answered the question everyone
Engineering student Lim Zirui stated that the increase in the number of foreigners, was creating a “dilution of the Singapore spirit”.
themselves in improving their nation. Thus, he suggested that we create a friendly environment for immigrants to live in. Without
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them, Singapore’s progress would not have been as remarkable. SM Goh encouraged everyone, “My hope is for you and those in your generation to continue to be engaged, to pursue your passion and your dreams, to challenge conventional wisdom, to do things and make Singapore better.” Senior Minister Goh also talked about sustaining Singapore’s buzz. He believed that countries like Japan were prospering twenty years ago, but today are experiencing stagnant growth. SM Goh explained that “for the buzz to endure, it must come from within us.” First year Humanities and Social Sciences student Shi Min agreed with SM Goh that for Singapore’s buzz to be sustained, “we should be more actively involved ... in Singapore’s future.” The senior minister’s generation had embarked on the mission of creating a stable economy, socially cohesive society and a nation that people around the world would want to live in. The new generation has the responsibility of taking Singapore’s success to even greater heights. SM Goh ended his speech with words of encouragement: “You can do it. You must do it. Step forward and make Singapore a Global City of Buzz and a Home for us.”
The Beginning Of A New Medical Era By Gayathri Gopalakrishnan Imperial and NTU’s new medical school aspires to be a global healthcare role model.
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anyang Technological University (NTU) and Imperial College London signed an official agreement to jointly establish Singapore’s third medical school on Friday,
October 29, 2010, at the Nanyang Executive Centre. Presently named the Imperial College London – Nanyang Technological University Medical School (ICNMS), this school was an initiative announced by Prime Minister Lee Hsein Loong at the National Day Rally 2010. The panel members from NTU included President Dr. Su Guaning, Provost Prof. Andersson, and Chair of School of Materials Science and Engineering, Prof. Freddy
Signing of the ICNMS Bond. PHOTO | Courtesy
Boey, whilst the representatives from Imperial College London included Sir Keith O’Nions FRS, Rector of Imperial College London; Prof. Stephen Smith, Principal of Faculty of Medicine, Prof. Jenny Higham, Director of Education, Faculty of Medicine, and Prof. Martyn Partridge, Deputy Director of Education. To be established by 2013, ICNMS will be able to meet Singapore’s healthcare demands and needs of the future. It will also provide more opportunities for Singaporeans to study medicine. With a joint degree awarded by both institutions, the programme will be based on Imperial’s medical curriculum which has a high international reputation. This medical degree is the first that Imperial will develop, deliver and award overseas. The event started with a welcome speech by Dr. Su Guaning: “The ICNMS combines NTU’s core strengths in engineering and business with Imperial’s worldrenowned medical expertise.” He summarized his feelings of sheer happiness, pride, and a tinge of
anxiety when he said, “It feels like I am attending a wedding and the birth of a new born.” Sir Keith O’Nions FRS, on behalf of the team from Imperial College stated, “We are delighted to be joining forces with an institution that embodies many of our own aspirations which include making an impact in the field of medicine. We have great confidence that we would be able to attract the brightest minds in Singapore and train them to be specialized in multidisciplinary fields. Our aim is to produce doctors who fully understand the scientific basis of medicine and have a genuine commitment to put the patient’s needs at the centre of all care.” Following Sir Keith, Mr. Lim Chuan Poh - Chairman of the new Medical School Pro-Team Governing Board - said that he had taken a strong personal interest in this venture and would be a clinical partner in this medical school. He felt that that the new medical school provided Singapore an opportunity to venture into
medical innovations. “Nanyang Business School would play an important role as the medicals school’s curriculum will include classes on business management,” explained Prof. Bertil Andersson when questioned about the kind of courses that would be offered in the ICNMS. The speeches were followed by the signing ceremony, which was presided over by the Minister for Education and Second Minister for Defense, Dr. Ng Eng Hen, and Minister for Health, Mr. Khaw Boon Wan. Dr. Ng said, “I was keen to facilitate this partnership as Imperial College has been able to marry their capabilities in engineering and medicine to strengthen both faculties. I saw parallels in Imperial’s development with NTU’s potential and strategic direction.” The event concluded with all the guests wishing the panel success in their new endeavor, marking a very important and exciting milestone for NTU and ICNMS; the medical school that aims to revolutionize Singapore’s healthcare sector.
Opinions
THE TRIBUNE NOVEMBER 2010
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Running Without A Finish Line
By Shreya Sharma It is better to travel hopefully than to arrive.
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he beginning of November this year marked the start of NaNoWriMo, or the National Novel Writing Month. NaNoWriMo may have ‘National’ in its title, but it is not an event confined only to the United States. NaNoWriMo is a platform for anyone, anywhere, who has thought about writing a novel, but has never had the time - or the confidence - to go through with it. All you need to do is register at the official website and start writing. The word count is tallied every day and the minimum word limit is fifty thousand words. The novels are meant to be written by amateurs and can be “laughingly awful”, according to the official website. The main focus of the event is on quantity, just letting the words flow. They don’t
need to be perfect. People all over the world, including Singapore, are scrambling to finish their 50,000-word novel by November 31, 2010. And what is the grand prize for reaching this ambitious word limit within the ridiculous deadline? A certificate and a web badge. No judges, no impressive prizes. The creators of NaNoWriMo rightfully acknowledge that the satisfaction of completing a full-length novel should be reward enough, and it seems that the 200,000 people who signed up for it this year feel the same way. They write simply for the pleasure of doing something they love; for the love of writing, and for the urge to get the story inside of them onto paper. Nowadays, we view everything we do through the prism of cost and benefit: Is this worth it? What’s in it for me? All too often we give up what we want to do for what we have to do - to fit the standard, to make a living. But how often do we do the reverse? It
is tempting to live a carefree life, unencumbered by material considerations, but it is not easy to go against the norm. An example of such a rebel is internet phenomenon ‘Artemis’, a self-proclaimed vagabond; a real life monk-whosold-his-Ferrari. A quirky sensation that has been covered by various news channels, Artemis worked for big companies like Apple, Dell and Microsoft before giving up a lucrative career and all his material possessions. He now lives on the streets in Paris: homeless but not hopeless. Armed with an iPad and an indefatigable spirit, Artemis makes a living blogging, and insists he is happier sleeping on benches in the cold of winter than living a luxurious life in LA. He writes in his blog: “This has brought me to a new level in life; experiences are [meant to be] drunk like fine wine, not avoided like disease.’ It is high time experiences and real-life stories made a comeback while achievements and degrees
The exploration of freedom, to do the things you love ILLUSTRATION | Anshu Garodia took a backseat. I see people jogging on campus every day and I wonder why they would subject themselves to aching legs and sweaty armpits. Why would they
The ‘STARE’way To Death
By Siddharth Janarthanan
“Low crime does not mean no crime” – true words, and troubled times.
These incidents might be sporadic in occurrence and without apparent planning, but that shouldn’t comfort us in anyway. Before such incidents become
penalty and rigorous imprisonment for attempt to murder. If such strict laws are not able to prevent the occurrence of such inhuman atrocities, then
still trying to come to terms with who really are; a period of uncertainty and vulnerability, when we are under pressure from parents, peers, society and school. Was
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ovember 1st. Just a day after Halloween. The festive mood is still in the air and crowds of people, wearing colourful costumes, throng the streets of Pasir Ris. Suddenly, a young man is seen running, leaving a bloody trail behind him. He has been hacked repeatedly by a group of men with choppers in public view. He dies in the hospital. In a span of minutes, a life is lost to senseless rage. Darren Ng Wei Jie died a violent, unnecessary death, and left behind a wake of uneasy questions. It is disturbing to know that such a crowded place did not have increased police. What is more appalling is that no one called the police when the attack was occurring. Apparently, the victim was ‘staring’ at the attackers: the cause of the attack. As I searched for more information on this gruesome incident, similar slashings in Kallang, Bukit Panjang and Ang Mo Kio surfaced, to my horror.
Violence in youth, and its consequences in society. ILLUSTRATION | Anshu Garodia more common and expectable, we have to look into the situation comprehensively. Singapore is well known for its strict laws on murder, kidnapping, and other crimes, according to which individuals face the mandatory death
we must try to understand the underlying cause of these violent outbursts. The individuals who have been arrested for Darren’s murder are all men in their late teens - the peak of adolescence, when we are
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this a factor in their decision to commit such a heinous act? We live in a society, which is almost obsessive in its desire to categorize every aspect of an individual. It’s a cruel world operating in binary mode. Yes or
wake up early and tire themselves out? Then it hits me – they’re running just for the sake of running, for the sole purpose of the experience. And it makes me want to run too. no. Good or bad. Black or white. There is no room allowed for grey, which any person knows is more rational and humane than these unfair extremes. Most of us turn out alright. However, somewhere, for some people, something goes terribly wrong. This is something that we, as a society, must examine. Asian cultures are well known for their highly disciplined upbringing of children. Given this and the general lack of crime and violence in Singapore, it is understandable not to expect atrocities like the ones mentioned above. However, if the evidence points to the contrary, it is time for introspection; time to figure out what could possibly cause such acts of reckless bloodlust and utter disregard for the sanctity of life. There is no room, in this already turbulent generation, for another Columbine or Virginia Tech. Parents, friends and teachers must look out for signals of any kind that indicates a troubled individual and must help them seek professional help. Not just out of fear of them attacking others, but also out of concern for their own well-being: they, too, are fellow human beings who feel love, pain, helplessness and anger. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this section do not represent the views of The Tribune. They are independent views of the writer.
Opinions
THE TRIBUNE
NOVEMBER 2010
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The Eternal Sunshine Of The Superstitious Mind
By Sifat Rahman Asians, superstitions, and the grey area in between
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ou probably never knew that several airlines don’t have an aisle 13 because it’s considered unlucky. That’s strange because we rarely even talk about this “unlucky” number 13, let alone extend this fear onto a technological marvel we call the aircraft. However, this is the reality of the 21st century – superstition still remains everywhere, even among the most developed societies. Singapore, like most Asian countries, is no stranger to believing in the implausible – the destruction of Singapore’s iconic Merlion’s head due to lightening was attributed to everything from ill-omens to the coming of apocalyptic doom. Of course, it’s nobody’s business to judge what you believe and what you think works for you. Unfortunately however, the accumulated effect of superstitious individuals can be detrimental to the entire society. The year 2010, the Year of the Tiger, is believed
to be an inauspicious time to bear children in Chinese culture. This has resulted in record low birth rates across Asia, and is particularly harmful to Singapore which has an inadequate fertility rate. The economic harms of this simple belief are enormous in the long run for this island state. Let’s take it to the level of the individual. A recent NUS study conducted on youths aged 19-23 has revealed that 66% of youths are superstitious, and that this drives them to be impulsive and less motivated to pick up new ideas. What this translates to is a penchant for people to attribute success in life to luck and natural forces, and this leads them to partake in habits and rituals to garner the favour of these forces – like wearing certain ‘lucky’ items of clothing on important occasions. The researchers at NUS suggest this mindset impedes people from trying harder to succeed. Why should they, when they’ve already sold a part of any potential success to luck? There is, however, a psychological explanation. In a book called “Dance with Chance”, the authors introduce something innate to human
Singapore: superstitions and nature – the illusion of control. They state that “the advantage of superstition is that it comforts us into believing there are things we can do to control the uncontrollable”. The book teaches us to acknowledge and accept that there are things that are beyond our control, and focus instead on what we can control, and exploit these fully to achieve our goals. Otherwise, we are led into a sense of false security, where we let luck decide our successes or failures.
its consequences PHOTO | Internet We’re all superstitious to a course, to avoid hypocrisy I’d certain extent because of our need to take responsibility for desire to be in control of our lives. failure too. Ideally though, I There is nothing to feel bad about, would blame Hall 13 (I’ve been because we are human after all. living there for the past two What is important though is to years) for at least my academic understand this nature of ours and tribulations, but I suppose my make sure we work around it to laziness and procrastination deserve their due credit here as our benefit. I myself often get the urge well. to attribute certain things to Disclaimer: The opinions exkarma or luck, but I restrain this pressed in this section do not thought because I want to take represent the views of The credit for my success; the sense Tribune. They are independof achievement is fulfilling. Of ent views of the writer.
Superstitions: An Untiring Immortality By Megha Mansharamani Belief and scepticism: is education the dividing line?
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sneeze at least a dozen times a day. Everyday. Every time that happens, there is at least one person around who will pause to look up and say, “God bless you”. That is a source of constant amusement to me. Why? Well because centuries ago when Europe was struck with a great plague, violent sneezing became commonplace, as did death. The Pope passed a law requiring people to bless the ‘sneezer’, believing that sneezing was an indication of imminent death. Having survived approximately 95,265 sneezes over the past 21.75 years (not that I was counting!), I can testify that sneezing does not imply imminent death. But the superstitious belief seems to have survived and people therefore implore God to bless me for a peaceful afterlife. I assure
every one of them that I am not that easy to get rid of. The point of the entire sneezestory was that superstitious beliefs will never be a thing of the past. Education is hailed as an antidote for superstition. One who can reason shouldn’t have to resort to irrational beliefs. However, that line of reasoning is oversimplified. For one thing, some superstitious beliefs are culturally ingrained, like the one discussed above. Saying “God Bless You” when someone sneezes is considered proper etiquette, not superstition, even though it is exactly that. Education hasn’t met with resounding success in remedying astrological faith either. And since superstition works in ways similar to astrology, it stands to reason that education will not be able to completely uproot it. Astrology is widely criticised for lack of a rational foundation. Crystal balls and tarot cards (and octopi) hardly seem like trustworthy predictors of the future, so it’s hard to disagree.
Yet many of us believe in it. The one time out of ten an astrological prediction was “right” seems to prevail over the nine “mistakes”; the same applies to superstition. As Sir Francis Bacon once said: “The root of all superstition is that men observe a thing when it hits, but not when it misses.” Furthermore, while I cannot prove
that my seven years of bad luck was caused by a broken mirror, I cannot prove that it was not brought on by the broken mirror either. A rational approach often cannot categorically disprove a superstitious belief. Another reason why superstitious beliefs are immortal is that human beings are naturally
Belief in the unconfirmed: irrational or justified? PHOTO | Internet
risk averse. If a black cat crossed your path then you’d find it reasonable to take a detour as opposed to risking bad luck (unless you’re British; the Brits consider black cats lucky!). For superstitions that require just a little bit of inconvenience, we’ll often just go the extra distance rather than risk the bad luck that might entail. It is only really the superstitions that require drastic action, say animal sacrifice, that reason and education can stand up against. Therefore, the argument that education eradicates superstition is only valid for a small class of superstitious beliefs. If I ever reach my wedding altar, I’d rather just warn my future husband to not drop the wedding ring than be plagued by thoughts of a doomed marriage due to an accidental “ring spill”. Sure, my extensive education ensures that I know that dropping a ring doesn’t lead to a doomed marriage. But on the off chance that it does, I’d rather not risk it!
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THE TRIBUNE NOVEMBER 2010
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(NTU)nity In Diversity
By Ankita Ann Jacob Students in NTU display a commendable spirit of unity and harmony. Or do we?
easy task to maintain social cohesion and stability and this must not be taken for granted. Which brings us to the social scene right here at NTU. On asking a Year 4, MAE student about what he thought about
with Indonesians and Indians stick with Indians and so on... Even project groups during class demonstrate [this] distinct segregation.” This may be blamed on the various nationality-based orientation
Another Year 4 CBE student claims otherwise, “Yes, in NTU, we are pretty segregated but it’s mostly about stepping out of your comfort zone. While the social set up and system doesn’t help very much, it is merely a
W
alk through the aisles of Old Canteen A, Lee Wee Nam library, Canteen A or B, Food Connection or the Spines in general or sit in any lecture theatre in any school in NTU and listen. Don’t talk; just listen to the random strains of conversation around you. You are bound to hear at least five different strains of conversation in five different languages. While most of us here at NTU take this situation for granted, it is actually a unique one. Or at the very least, a rare occurrence. Where else would you be able to
“There is very little inter-racial interaction. I’ve been here 4 years and as an international student, my friend circle comprises of people of my nationality. I do know other people, but we interact minimally.” Year 4 MAE student listen to so many cultures coexist in harmony (except maybe at some international airport or at some conference by the United Nations)? Singapore provides us a suitable atmosphere for such a harmonious cultural and social set-up. A melting pot of varied cultures, races and religions, Singapore is known for its success in maintaining a diverse and multi-racial society - a notably commendable effort in the face of the countless inter-racial and ethnic conf licts around the world today. Every year, in July, Singapore celebrates Racial Harmony Day to celebrate these successes and the harmonious diversity it displays. Surely, it is not an
France and Sweden. It provides for an insight into a different culture and way of life.” This is one of the benefits of studying at an international university - you get to meet new people. You are introduced to various different cultures and your tolerance of varying opinions increases. While it is easy to see the limitations in the social scene, there are tons of opportunities for interaction and making new friends. Exchange students are always friendly and there is a lot of interaction between international students from different countries. Living on campus surely aids that kind of interaction. Choosing to be in a mixed project group instead of sticking to a group of people from the same background might also prove an interesting learning experience. Who knows? You might even make some really great friends in the process. The International Students Centre has organised lots of themed events for fellowship and learning with the same purpose in mind. Through the medium of these themed coffee sessions which are carried out through most of they year, they aim to promote friendship and bonding
“Yes, in NTU, we are pretty segregated but it’s mostly about stepping out of your comfort zone. While the social set up and system doesn’t help very much, it is merely a personal decision whether to go out there and make new friends.” Year 4 CBE student Despite having students of various cultures, NTU does not discriminate. Festivals of all cultures are celebrated with equal pomp and joy. Illustration | Anshu Garodia inter-racial interactions at NTU, he said, “There is very little inter-racial interaction. I’ve been here four years, and as an international student, my friend circle comprises of people of my nationality. I do know other people, but we interact minimally. Everywhere, it is clear that Indonesians stick
camps held at the beginning of the academic year to introduce the university to the freshmen and help them settle into the NTU environment. Freshmen at these camps are limited to people of their own nationality and, from then onwards, they tend to stick to people of their own country.
personal decision whether to go out there and make new friends. Joining hall orientation camps and taking part in hall activities surely help. I’ve made a lot of friends from different countries – not too many Singaporeans, since most of them live offcampus, but I’ve made tons of exchange-student friends from
among people belonging to all the varied cultures at NTU. So go ahead, call a few friends and start mingling! After all, it’s a big world out there. While there is space for everyone, we are bound to be in a situation that calls for discussion and co-operation between people from different cultures. What better place to foster this kind of attitude, than right here at NTU!
WSC
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Experience The Joy, Enjoy The Experience
By Stanley Lee Through the eyes of a new WSC member
we tried our best to memorise everyone’s names, we had several team bonding games which was pure fun! It began with the cheering game,
mascot which had been made of recycled material. Finally, the camp ended with a mass dance to the retro tune of ‘New Age Girl’ followed by a prize distribution
came up with and carried out the day’s team-building activities; the group leaders with their hyperactivity, which made it easier for us to extend mere
ceremony. The exhilarating event would not have been possible without its main ingredient: collective effort. The programmers who
acquaintances to strong bonds of friendship; the welfare and logistics team who worked hard behind the scenes to prepare our meals and to do sundry
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rientation camps are an integral part of our school lives, especially at NTU. If not for the orientation camps, I would not have met the amazing friends that I go to class with and who are always there to accompany me for dinner or jogging every evening. WSC VOC (Welfare Society Club Volunteer Orientation Camp) 2010 was one such orientation camp, the memories of which I cherish above all the rest. As I grudgingly dragged myself out of bed at 7:30am on a Monday morning for VOC, I thought, “Why did I even agree to this venture?” Yet, fortuitously, during the course of the day, I realised I could not have expected a better start to my recess week. I was allocated Group Three: The Hip Hop realm, which, together with the other three groups,Country, Disco and Rock ‘N’ Roll, made up the ‘Music’ theme of the day’s event. After the usual ice-breaking games, where
PHOTO | Jeremy Tan according to the results of which, each group was assigned material to make a human mascot. After much toil and brain wracking, each team put on display their
numerous jobs related to event organisation; the business managers and financial controller who managed the budget for the event and the publicity portfolio that covered the event to give us the best photos and videos – together gave the chairperson of VOC 2010 something to smile about. As an event targeting to cover over 800 new volunteers of WSC, in order to introduce volunteerism in NTU and facilitate orientation of the university life, VOC 2010 acted as a platform for club-level interaction among the volunteers and brought overall cohesion amongst all the divisions in WSC. VOC 2010 was the perfect opportunity for me to mingle with WSC members from different committees. Even on a day of scorching heat and waning energy level, it was the experience with my fellow Orientation Group mates that made the time spent during the camp memorable, and I am sure everyone else present would say the same. VOC was an event where all new volunteers formed a bond with WSC and embarked on a new journey of wonderful memories with and about friends.
Will You Hold My Hand ? By Shashank Jere
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n a typical Sunday morning, a quiet arrival of shoppers buying their week’s grocery is a usual scene in most malls in Singapore. However, on the morning of October 24, something exciting was witnessed by all visitors to Anchorpoint Mall, Queenstown. Contrary to the mundane discount and rebate banners that cover the shop windows; they were welcomed with a smile by the volunteers from the Welfare Services Club of NTU and the National Skin Centre, to participate in a lively and insightful experience. Conducted on the World Psoriasis Day by the Psoriasis Association of Singapore (PAS), in partnership with the National Skin Centre and Welfare Services Club, this unique event, themed “Will you hold my hand?” aimed at creating and spreading awareness
PHOTO | Jeremy Tan about psoriasis, a disease that affects one in every hundred Singaporeans. Through this event, the organizers hoped to increase disease awareness for psoriasis and change the mindset of the public towards those afflicted, whose lives have been plunged into social isolation due to public ostracism and stigmatization.
Dr. Lim Wee Kiak, Member of Parliament from the Sembawang GRC, was the Guest of Honor for the event, who was welcomed by a sensational performance put up by drummers of “Thrash Band” from NTU-WSC. The Emcee gave a brief outline of psoriasis as a chronic disease of the immune system that appears
on the skin. Light was also thrown upon issues like the common symptoms, related side-effects and the treatment available in Singapore for the disease, for the benefit of the audience. The fact that psoriasis is a non-contagious disease and cannot be “caught” through contact was repeatedly mentioned with the intent of crumbling one of the most common myths prevalent among people. With the official inauguration over, the stage was set on fire by a string of musical performances. A troupe of six performers, including a percussion drummer from NTU’s own “Thrash Band”, put together a spectacular drumming piece. The foot-tapping drumming piece was then followed by a medley of songs called ‘Voices against Psoriasis’ by a brother-sister duo. Their performance sent a strong message to the public to accept psoriasis patients as a part of the
society and to lend a helping hand to them so that they can rediscover the courage, strength, resilience and hope in spite of the disease. WSC volunteers, stationed at almost every busy location in the mall, greeted the crowd and handed them educational booklets, which brought to light certain solid facts and dispelled common myths related to psoriasis. Simple quizzes about World Psoriasis Day 2010 along with attractive walkaway prizes to winners ensured a high level of crowd participation throughout. The event provided for a large-scale interaction between volunteers, skin experts from PAS and the public, who learnt a lot more about psoriasis. With a team of highly motivated volunteers, skin experts and skilled technicians, the WPD road show accomplished its objective of increasing disease awareness for psoriasis and proved to be an all-round success.
News
NOVEMBER 2010
To Infinity And Beyond
By Swasti Srivastava
Singapore will make another giant leap in space technology with the launch of X-Sat
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t the end of December, Singapore will reach a significant milestone in space technology with the launch of its first locally built micro-satellite, the X-Sat. The much awaited event will be occurring nine years after work first began in 2001. Nevertheless, the delay has not watered down the enthusiasm and expectations. In fact, it has increased the anticipation of the many people involved and all the citizens of Singapore. The official website states that The X-Sat project was initiated in 2000 as an internally funded, inter-school project by Nanyang
Technological University. In 2001, DSO National Laboratories joined in the process, and the project then received additional funding. DSO collaborated with NTU for the acquisition of a 10 m resolution multispectral instrument as the primary payload. Satrec Initiative Limited of Daejeon, Korea was selected for the development of the imager. The funding provided by DSO National Laboratories was essential for the mission and work began in full swing with the launch aimed to take place in 2005. However, due to unforeseen obstacles, the project was delayed for four years. This unfortunately caused the project’s cost to rise from $10 million to $40 million. However, experts in this field maintain that such delays are not uncommon and even satellites launched by space technology pioneers like the United States often see a delay of two years or more.
The X-Sat spacecraft’s design and development have been provided by the DSO National Laboratories. The bus structure has dimensions of 600 mm x 850 mm and a total mass of 100 to 120 kg. These physical characteristics result in the classification of X-Sat as a micro-satellite. The X-Sat can orbit the earth within nineteen minutes at a height of 88 km for up to three years. This satellite will take pictures to measure soil erosion and monitor environmental changes on earth. It will then relay the information from sensors to a ground station located at NTU. The project will prove that Singapore is capable of designing, building, testing and operating a mini-satellite bus with multimission support capability. The overall objective of this mission is to demonstrate technology in support of high-resolution imaging capabilities in visible and near-
infrared regions. The satellite bus - with its on-board computer, mass storage system, bus-oriented communication, and transmission system - has been designed to cater to a variety of purposes which jointly contribute toward the achievement of the main objective. Small though it is, the X-Sat will definitely contribute towards Singapore’s success in her future space endeavours, especially during the launch of more sophisticated satellites. No doubt all Singaporeans are eagerly looking forward to the X-Sat’s launch from India’s Satish Dhawan Space Centre in the Andhra Pradesh province. This achievement will make Singapore the first Southeast Asian country to have its own locally built satellite in space. The success of X-Sat will showcase Singapore’s progress in the field of space technology to the World.
Getting Busy With Risk Management By Amulya Garg Risk management makes its mark on the SAO calendar.
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he Student Affairs Office (SAO) has been busy this October, organising seminars and workshops, with a view to acquaint and familiarise the newly appointed Student Leaders of the SU and the other student committees with their responsibilities and undertakings. Beginning from October 14, 2010, talks have been organised for the benefit of the various committee members of the numerous student bodies functional at NTU. The programme was initiated by an annual function, The Student Leader’s Night, hosted by the Dean of Students and the Director of Alumni Affairs, in order to acknowledge the efforts of the members of the outgoing committees and to welcome the incoming committees of 113 NTU student organisations. Following this was a briefing on financial procedures for the Financial Controllers of SU and its Constituent Clubs. Fund Raising briefing cum workshop on “Creating a Great Impression” and Administrative briefing for Newly Elected Office Bearers were some of the many events undertaken by SAO this month.
The Risk Management Workshop cum Overseas Exposure Programme (OEP) briefing, conducted on October 21 and 22, 2010 was one of the last workshops organised by SAO in October for the Student Leaders of this academic year. This was an event attended by a total of 106 student organisers (41 student organisers for overseas community service projects and 65 student organisers for overseas projects of various nature), at Seminar Room 2, Nanyang House last month. The Risk Management workshop, conducted under the aegis of Dr. Lee Kien Hwa, NTU Chief Health and Safety Officer, stressed upon the risks involved with planned overseas student activities and the best way
PHOTO | Courtesy
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to tackle them. Each activity under the Overseas Programmes entails certain amount of risk, depending on the size of participation, location, type of activities and the general understanding of the participants. The University, the organising committees and the participants collectively have a legal, social and moral responsibility towards each other. With this ethos in consideration, the Student Affairs Office organised the Risk Management Workshop to prepare student organisers under its endorsement. Being organised for the second consecutive year, with full support from the Office of Health and Safety, the main objective of such workshops is to equip student
organisers with risk assessment and management skills so that they can demonstrate the duty of care to the best of their abilities. This would in turn ensure that all reasonably practicable measures are taken to avert any unplanned occurrence, which may cause harm to anyone during the participation in overseas activities. Besides the Risk Management Workshop, light was also thrown upon the Overseas Exposure Programmes (OEP) and the application procedures involved by Ms Wendy Gwee, Senior Assistant Director (Student Activities), SAO. OEP, a term coined for short stint overseas activities, organised by student organisations under SAO’s endorsement, aims at exposing their members to a unique overseas experience. OEP provides an inviting platform for cultural exchange, community service, sports competitions, etc. The OEP Briefing was wrapped up with an interactive Q & A session providing a hand help to all the misconceptions and queries of the audience. The event proved to be a complete success with all the Student Leaders, the flag bearers of the University. It equipped them with a clear picture of their duties and responsibilities which would, in turn, ensure a smooth running of the extensive and varied activities that will be organised by the Student Committees in the ensuing year.
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Publications Executive Sonali Prasad su-publication@ntu.edu.sg +65 97710705
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ILLUSTRATION | Anshu Garodia
A Gift For A New Professorship Article: Courtesy RSIS receives a generous donation to establish a new Professorship and Scholarship.
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anyang Technological University (NTU) has received a gift of S$3 million from the Bakrie Center Foundation of Indonesia to establish and bestow a new Professorship in Southeast Asia Policy at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), according to the media release. With matching funds from the Singapore government, the core endowment will total S$6 million. The Bakrie Professorship will be a prime anchor in providing thought leadership and advancing knowledge. The Bakrie Professor
is also expected to mentor young faculty members and research scholars, while simultaneously attracting other top researchers with interests in Southeast Asia to NTU. “I want to thank the Bakrie Center Foundation for generously contributing to NTU,” held NTU President, Dr Su Guaning. “The new Bakrie professorship will strengthen academic and intellectual leadership at the highest level within RSIS and the university. The Bakrie Professor and young scholars will also contribute to important scholarly discussions. This will benefit Singapore, ASEAN and the wider international community in the long run, as we gain vital insights into the increasingly complex policy issues and challenges that will confront us in the coming years.” In addition to the Professorship,
NTU RSIS also announced the formation of the Bakrie Graduate Fellowship Scholarship Fund. Four scholarships worth S$30,000 each year will be awarded to deserving students from the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) region over the next five years. Mr Anindya Novyan Bakrie, Founder and Chairman of the Bakrie Center Foundation and CEO of Bakrie Telecom, was quoted, “The Bakrie Professor will shape knowledge on Indonesia and Southeast Asia, having a critical bearing on policy towards a region growing in economic clout and geopolitical influence. The RSIS is an ideal host because of its valuable regional networks, and an established tradition of assessing political and economic trends in Southeast Asia.” “Strengthening the study of Southeast Asia is one of the highest
priorities of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies,” said Ambassador Barry Desker, Dean of the RSIS. “The endowment and establishment of the new Bakrie Professorship and Bakrie Graduate Fellowship Scholarship Fund marks an important milestone in the history of the RSIS. The presence of such an accomplished scholar will enable RSIS to advance scholarship and understanding of Southeast Asia to new levels of excellence, while complementing the current faculty’s expertise in Indonesia and Southeast Asia. “I am equally confident that the Bakrie Professor will attract some of the most outstanding international affairs scholars and students in the world to the RSIS and Singapore. This will help us to nurture a future generation of scholars who will be equipped with a solid foundation and holistic
knowledge to respond to the evolving geopolitical landscape in Southeast Asia and the world.” A search is under way to fill the Professorship with a distinguished scholar, whose teaching and research are not only centred in Southeast Asia, but relate to other areas of strategic and international studies, thereby forging links to other scholars in NTU and beyond. The RSIS will invite applications for the Bakrie Graduate Fellowship from Academic Year 2010. Named after one of Singapore’s founding fathers, the late Mr. S. Rajaratnam who held various Cabinet appointments including Singapore’s first foreign minister, the RSIS has, over the years, built a reputation of excellence as a leading research and graduate teaching institution in strategic and international affairs in the Asia Pacific.
News By Jayanti Basu Roy Impresario 2K10 is an evening worth remembering.
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t was a rainy evening, one of these evenings when everybody would love a session of beautiful music. And sure enough, there was a huge crowd lined up outside LT 26.The audience who eagerly waited to go in, were mostly those who have registered for the much awaited Impresario, an all-Singapore annual music competition. Says, Christie, a Year 3 student, “We have come here to watch Kewei sing as well as to learn how to improve on our abilities. Keith’s workshop will definitely help us to take back a lot of valuable advice. We are thankful to CAC for organising this workshop.” The organisers, CAC Public Affairs Committee as well as SOMA (School Of Music And Arts) claims to have had a great experience organising this event. Deborah, a CAC Main Committee member, says “We have invited Kewei to come down and share the story of her journey. Moreover, since she is an NTU alumnus as well as winner of Impresario previously, she can definitely inspire our contestants, in particular and all other viewers, in general.” The program started with Kewei’s breathtaking performance. The LT reverberated with the cheers and applause as Kewei moved from one song to another from her debut album ‘Come Closer with…Kewei’. Though all the songs were well-received by the audience, there was particularly one song, “Plastic Mannequin Love”, written and sung by Kewei, which
NOVEMBER 2010
Recipe For Success had a unique and innovative touch to it. This song which she composed after extensive research on “The Great Pacific Garbage Patch” sung to raise environmental awareness was an instant favourite of the audience. The former Communication and Broadcast Media student seemed to be idolised already! After a session of refreshing
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music, a workshop on songwriting conducted by the Executive Director of SOMA, Keith Kwok began. Keith graduated from one of the most prestigious music schools in the world, Berklee College of Music, Boston. He collaborated with numerous song writers, producers, and artists, and has produced albums for MediaCorp
as well. Keith’s experience is highly coveted by aspiring musicians. Keith’s workshop was highly interactive and audience-friendly. He shared the secret ingredients that going into the making of beautiful songs. He showed how lyricists go on to make award winning compositions. His impromptu melody creation, while at the
PHOTOS | Akhand Pratap Singh
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same time convincing everyone that it was indeed simple, was surely impressive. The guests even conducted a short interview after the event. Tribune: What do you think of Impresario? Keith: It’s a great platform for budding artists. CAC has been doing a wonderful job all these years. This is where you meet people from the industry who are always in the lookout for new blood. Kewei: For me, it holds a special place in my heart. This is where it all began. It is very important to be around like-minded people, who share the same interests. And Impresario helps to build that network. Several renowned musicians go there in search of fresh voices. There could be no better launch pad than Impresario for talented singers. Tribune: What next for Kewei? Kewei: I have a busy schedule ahead. My music is has received support overseas, therefore, I will be performing soon in Shanghai, Japan, Hong Kong and so on. My second album will be releasing late next year. Tribune: What is your message to the students of NTU? Keith: Live your dreams. SOMA conducts workshops frequently. These help in enlightening you about the various aspects of being a great musician. Kewei: Go ahead and try anything new that comes your way. You never know where your potential lies. From an interactive song composition session to a superb on-stage performance, the CAC Impresario 2010 was indeed inspirational to all the aspiring artists and music enthusiasts. .
World Entrepreneurship Forum In Singapore By Kou Zhigang Singapore will be hosting the WEF 2011, making it the first country in Asia to do so.
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he 4th World Entrepreneurship Forum (WEF) that will be held in November next year, will be attended by entrepreneurial talents from over fifty countries. In addition, Mr Gan Kim Yong, Minister for Manpower, announced at the BlueSky Conference on November 16, that the Action Community for Entrepreneurship (ACE) and Nanyang Technological
University (NTU) have jointly become the third founding members of the prestigious global entrepreneurship annual event. This makes Singapore the first founding member from Asia to join the WEF, and the first country in Asia to host the event. WEF was founded by EMLYON Business School and KPMG in 2008. The forum is a non-profit initiative that encourages all forms of entrepreneurship, integrating economic and social objectives. As an esteemed international think-tank, the annual forum is the platform for international network of entrepreneurs and expert entrepreneurs to create possibilities for decision-makers.
ACE and NTU were selected based on their entrepreneurial experience and commitment in the field of entrepreneurship. The Memorandum of Understanding between EMLYON Business School, KPMG, ACE and NTU to seal Singapore’s Founding Membership was signed on November 5, during a Gala ceremony attended by over 800 guests at the WEF held in Lyon, France. NTU’s Associate Provost (Innovation) Jeffrey Nadison said, “Entrepreneurs need a strong and supportive ecosystem to nurture and accelerate their growth. Building up the next generation of creative, innovative
and bold entrepreneurs is a great endeavour that will require the collaborative work of educators, corporations, government and local communities. He also stated that NTU is “delighted to be associated with this dynamic global movement, alongside ACE”. ACE has participated in WEF since 2009 and works with partners to enhance our proenterprise environment. “Singapore is a pioneering leader in entrepreneurship policy. We appreciate that the country has shared with us many of its innovative and effective initiatives, such as the formation of ACE, the establishment of a structured entrepreneurship
learning curriculum and the development of a vibrant venture capitalist and incubator network,” said Professor Patrick Molle, President of EMLYON Business School, France and Founder & Co-President of WEF. All in all, Singapore is definitely ready to host this celebrated event and to play an important role in shaping the global entrepreneurship agenda. Singapore’s dynamic entrepreneurship scene and comprehensive government support has won admiration and respect from the international community at the WEF and this will only be further enhanced at WEF 2011.
Features
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NOVEMBER 2010
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Are You Optimizing Your University Experience?
The Road Not Taken
Vive Ut Vivas
Take a chance, make a difference: step out of your perfectly painted picture
Stop being, start exploring: don’t follow the same old script
By Bilal Rizvi
By Shruti Boddu Breaking norms, letting go of expectations, living your dream - these are all things that we are greatly fascinated by, and yet we approach these ideas with the utmost caution. Taking the path less trodden is not an easy task, and we would all much rather find a tree to happily climb on and nestle in, during our walk through the large woods called life. Robert Frost really was too idealistic in trying to inspire people to take the road less travelled. However, there have been many exceptions to the aforementioned theory of massive wimping out and subsequent climbing of trees. Mark Zuckerberg is the first name that comes to mind, closely followed by Bill Gates and Shawn Fanning. Further research shows that quite a few of teenagers have boldly stepped out of the academic sphere - the founders of Google and Hewlett-Packard are the most notable examples on this slowly lengthening list. Closer to home, some students who minored in Entrepreneurship have started some pretty impressive small businesses. A group of students started 99 Falling Apples, an establishment that brings forward “daily inspirations by featuring creative design concepts from around the world in just 99 words”. The attractive website shows that this group has some real creativity, and that success is not too far away. It is evident that students are slowly realizing that University isn’t the be all and end all of life. There are other ways to live, and a little intellect with a lot of bravery, facilitate that.
Shouldn’t university life encompass far more than your 158 AUs? Seventy years in the future, when you’re choking to death from an oxygen leakage in a colonized Mars, your life will flash before your eyes and there will be just one period in your life you’d want to relive – your time at the university. And nobody, nobody, wants to watch only a sad, constant loop of nothingness. How exactly do you create a university experience that is fabulous enough to be worth reliving? Detach your proboscis from the book and your rear from the chair. Make your day different than the previous. Regurgitate every detail of your mind on your best friend, have a terrible argument over Skittles and Smarties and greet a friend with a prolonged hug the next time you meet. Go fishing. It is about being absurd. Create a painting, write a story, compose a song. Destroy something, then recreate it. Be curious about everything; immerse yourself in the world. Run for classes without having brushed your teeth; experience motion. Confront challenges; break the rules. Take a short vacation. Become really good at something. Argue, question, tear down, rebuild. Be open to new ideas. Get 100 people to like your Facebook status. Fall in love; learn to move on if you break up. Be an entrepreneur. Travel the world. Wait for bedtime so that you can dream; dream within a dream. You will often end up making a mess, but life is meant to be messy. That’s the point.
Brave New World Make A Memory Do not let yourself be constrained by the weight of parental expectations.
By Shruti Boddu Horizons expand only when they are allowed to. Sadly, most Asian parents paint a pre-conceived picture of what they deem perfect for their children. Everything is etched out, like markings on a map; the past, the present, the future. The picture is clear: a deck of cards is handed out to the child, though it is not as much a deck as it is three cards with the most common, money-minting professions imprinted on to them. Parents seem overly eager to provide their kids with every means to help them follow the already put-together dream. Entire nights on their honeymoon were probably spent envisioning this dream. Any slight deviation from this vision is met with sternness, in most Asian households. At the end of our lives, we all want something more to look back on. Memories of large piles of dusty books and monitor screens packed with indecipherable (for most of us) math isn’t all that we want to go to our tombstones with. A well rounded learning experience is important. Honestly, just the basics will do. Speak, have conversations that change your life and keep you up all night thinking. Read, absorb and enjoy every book that you can get your hands on. Work; physical labour teaches you more than a PhD ever will. Spend time with people that you love, they enrich your life. Be open to everything; new ideas, old ideas, a random whim or fancy. Make a memory, because at the end, that is all you will be left with. Don’t allow high expectations or rigid societal norms to weigh you down.
Going on exchange opens us to new horizons.
By Bilal Rizvi Going on an exchange program is something that many NTU students would like to do at least once in the course of their university life. I myself have come, seen, and conquered. This term on exchange has opened new compartments in my cranium and created a deluge of unforgettable memories. Every day is a friendly octopus that flails its tentacles grabbing incredible people and experiences. “University was liberating with unlimited opportunities and open-minded people, those I could share intelligent conversations with. In my first year I seized a wonderful opportunity to spread health awareness amongst children in Belize for one month. In the same year, I travelled to Argentina for a summer school and then to Colombia,” says Alexandru, a year 4, Commerce student. He studied for a semester at Queen’s castle in UK, followed by an exchange in Australia. With two minors apart from a heavy Commerce course load, endless extra-curricular activities, internships and part time jobs – he has been supporting himself financially completely at every stage and chairing an entrepreneur company. “I had bad days, when everything seemed to fall apart. Things have gone really, really wrong, but I’d never want to stop reliving these moments.” Going on exchange is like being on the receiving end of a burst of fireworks - the different people, places, food – it all explodes into you and leaves you in a cloud of amazed, unforgettable smoke. Experiencing university life in other countries, with other nationalities, is like having your eyelids taped to your forehead: your narrow mindset self-destructs, and you can suddenly see all the way into the wide, blue yonder.
Compiled By : Abha Apte Photos : Tribune Photography Team Design : Anshu Garodia
News
NOVEMBER 2010
Discovering One’s Career Through IA And FYP
By Swaroop Sriram
IA and FYP pave the way to the industry where one can succeed.
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t is quite common for one to wonder if the knowledge that we spend four years acquiring, would ever be actually applicable in the industry. The unglued thoughts between the coursework and the industry arise due to the lack of confidence in the field prior to actual assignments. These issues were brought forward in the ASME Master Speech 2010. The speakers at the event were Mr. Henry Wong and Dr. Desmond Chong who enlightened the audience about FYP (Final Year Project), IA (Industrial Attachment), and the careers that lie ahead of them upon graduation. Mr. Henry, Managing Director of Cadaq Pte Ltd, explained the nuances of the above university programs and the job interviews so as to clear the doubts com-
monly prevalent among the students. Although most students feel that they lack experience when they initially apply for a job, Mr. Henry explained that thanks to these, every candidate actually has a over an year of ‘experience’ in their pockets. This one year is the cumulative duration of FYP and IA during which one is exposed to hands-on training in the field. He mentioned that the tools of the trade which one needs to be exposed to are measurement instruments, software, and process fundamentals. Mr. Henry stressed that the most important rudiments to possess before an interview are the know-hows of the employers, internal and external parties involved in the companies’ business, and most of all to meet the requirements of the job. He himself did his IA at Seagate, Tuas Plant, Singapore and terming it a true learning experience shared that, “One’s FYP should first of all be the inspection of a good
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topic, thereby offering a proving ground for strengthening of fundamentals, skills and familiarisation of skills.” Finally he highlighted that an engineering job is a very respectable, offers good salary, has a stable market and ever expanding avenues for one to explore, venture into and most importantly to learn from. Dr. Desmond Chang, an alumnus of NTU and now a lecturer in the Division of Bioengineering at NUS, also shared his “University, IA, FYP and Career” experience. Laying out his talk in a chronological and orderly manner, he brief ly described the interviews, unveiled the IA package and ventured into the FYP arena before concluding with a short synopsis. Dr. Chang’s IA, back in the day, had been with Hewlett Packard in their Research and Development department which paved the way for a long career in the field of Integrated Circuit packaging. He began his career with Motorola where he worked for a considerable amount of
time before moving to UTAC to be able to a richer learning experience to quench his thirst for knowledge following which he went on to do a PhD from the Imperial College in London. His experience in the R&D departments and the experience of doing a PhD enabled him to provide the audience with a complete insight into the field of research. He mentioned that the IA actually determines the industry that one would eventually work in and thereby paves the way for a successful career. In addition to strengthening the fundamentals rendered by Mr. Henry, he also asserted that soft skills need to be inculcated along the way. This is to stay in possession of the power of sustenance in the industry which demands both hard and soft skills. This presentation was highly helpful in showing first-hand how FYP and IA are indeed the two components of the defogger that offer a clear view to reveal the transitional path from one’s university education to the world of career and industry.
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Coming Up.. Date : January 8, 2011 Venue : Sports Hall, SRC FCS-NTU Cheer Safety Workshop for Hall Cheerleaders – a platform to learn about safety measures adopted during cheerleading.
Date : January 11, 2011 Venue : Nanyang House Seminar Room SAO is organizing the third Risk Management Workshop for Student Leaders on Overseas Programme
Date : January 21, 2011 Venue : Foyer, Nanyang Auditorium
ILLUSTRATION | Anshu Garodia
Office of Health and Safety is organising the Community Emergency Preparedness Day. Activities include: 1. How to administer Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) 2. How to use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) 3. How to use the Fire Extinguisher
Careers
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THE TRIBUNE
NOVEMBER 2010
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Of ICONic Opportunities “The Interview Challenge 2010 – An ICON Initiative”
The first judge of this event was Dr. Klaus Jurgen Templer, Senior Teaching Fellow at the Division of Strategy Management and Organisation (SMAO) at the College of Business, Nanyang Business School. In his address, he provided interesting insights about interviews, recruitments, and other useful advice.
The winner of the first prize of the lucky draw. He won a Toshiba External Hard-drive. The second and third prizes were a wireless keyboard and mouse, and Creative earphones, respectively. The prize was given out by Ramanan Kumar, Student Union’s Corporate Liason Executive.
The winner of the Judges’ Choice awards was Ng Lay Yong, who displayed a flair for intelligent, informed answers and on-the-spot spontaneity . As a token and reward for her performance, she was awarded a HP Color Printer. Her prize was presented to her by judge Robin Thadathil.
The second judge was Robin Thadathil, currently the Associate Manager of Human Resources in Procter and Gamble. He is also a former Icon Chairperson and Ntu Student Union’s VicePresident. He gave the participants and the audience present, suggestions on how to be handle interviews.
The audience participation in this event was encouraging and stimulating: not only did a large number of students from various schools attend for the event, but the questions posed by the audience were intelligent, insightful, and sufficiently challenging.
Refreshments were provided at the end where the audience and the participants could network with both the esteemed judges. There was an eagerness to use the opportunity to gain from the knowledge and experience of the judges.
The five participants who took part in the Interview Challenge: Kanika Agarwal, Ng Lay Yong, Phang Chu Xiang Derek, Liu Shun, Wang Nan, Jimmy Pham Quang Huy, Ng Lay Yong. The participants answered questions by the audience, judges and their co participants. The questions were modeled around the interview questions usually asked in recruitment processes.
The winner of the Audience’s Choice awards was Liu Shun, who won over onlookers with his quick, easy answers and well-presented pointse won a pair of Creative Speakers. He prize was given out by both Dr. Klaus Jurgen Templer, and Robin Thadathil.
Compiled By : Abha Apte, Ayushi Singhal Photos : ICON Publicity Team
Thus the first ICON event of the year, the Interview Challenge 2010, ended on a high note. From the feedback garnered, its planning and execution were appreciated, and the content was enjoyed. Audience specifically mentioned to the organising committe about the usefulness and relevance of questions asked. High on the success of this event, ICON hopes to organize several more such events for the benefit of NTU students.
News
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THE TRIBUNE NOVEMBER 2010
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Rendezvous With MATLAB And Simulink
Article : Courtesy
s students in NTU, we are all at least familiar with the names of countless software we are expected to learn, master and add to the list of skills on our CVs as we apply for internships and jobs. IET - NTU Student Selection recently conducted a MATLAB and Simulink workshop for interested NTU students on Friday, October 22, 2010 at the Software Engineering Lab (S2.2-B4-04) from 1 pm to 4 pm.
language and interactive environment that enables users to perform computationally intensive tasks faster than with traditional programming languages. Simulink, developed by MathWorks, is a commercial tool for modelling, simulating, and analysing multidomain dynamic systems. Students were given the opportunity to learn concepts that are widely adopted not only in advanced engineering courses, but also in a
large number of technology-driven industries. A lot of engineering students were eager to attend this workshop. Unfortunately only 66 students could attend it due to the limited seating capacity of the lab. The lucky 66 were made familiar with the basic concepts of MATLAB and Simulink. They were provided with manuals containing comprehensible information on the same. The Techsource professionals helped the students with the basic principles of MATLAB and Simulink. This was followed by hands-on sessions during which the students put their newly acquired knowledge into practice under the guidance of professionals in the field. Most of the students who attended the workshop were convinced that it was well worth the time and energy spent. Monisha, a Year 4 EEE student said “The workshop was brief and useful. It was perfect for all EEE students.” Students were pleased with the professionals who came to teach them. Chong Wei, a Year 3 Mechanical Engineering student said “It was fruitful. The pace of teaching was very comfortable.” It was an enjoyable experience for the Techsource professionals
By Ayesha Shakya
FM radio station and Rock Records & Tapes in organizing what was clearly a successful event. The lecture theatre was buzzing with excitement as the eager audience waited for the show to start. The show began performances by The Freshman where they sang songs from their album ‘Life’s Experiment’. The first song of the night was the album’s title track, ‘Life’s Experiment’, an extremely lively number that set the perfect tone for the entire event. Before singing the song, the musical duo talked about how they felt that life is an experiment; a belief that was evident in the way they had taken the leap and entered the incredibly competitive music industry. Chen Diya’s positive outlook is inspiring and motivating for everyone. She said, “The music industry is definitely difficult. We work everyday not knowing what will happen tomorrow. It is our passion for our work that keeps
us going on. At the end, we fix our eyes on the journey and not the destination. We want to cherish the journey and the present to the fullest.” After the peppy start, they slowed things down with a ballad that changed the mood of the night and left the audience mesmerized. Although the songs were emotional, fun moments were included in between the songs to liven up the atmosphere. These moments include Carrie Yeo’s exclamation that Chen Diya ‘nags like a mother’ whilst Chen Diya countered that Carrie Yeo is the messier one amongst them. After The Freshman performed, Serene Koong entertained the audience for the rest of the night. She performed a few of her songs from her album ‘55:38:7’ while simultaneously displaying her exceptional piano playing skills. Her songs had such a pleasant beat that the audience seemed compelled to sing along with her. “[A] lot of us forget to be
More on the MATLAB and Simulink workshop at NTU
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as well. Mr Jabian Tong, one of the professionals, said “My role is to inspire learning and to promote the correct attitude. The workshop was fun.” And so it was. It was a fulfilling experience, not only for the students, who
were able to pass this on to the students as well. The end of the workshop saw the attendees with more knowledge about the topic than search engines could have given them. At the end of the workshop,
PHOTOS | Courtesy left the laboratory with far more knowledge of one of the widely used software of the time, but also for the teachers who, by virtue of being experts on the subject, were able to impart far more than the students would have learnt without them. Being professionals, they have faced all the practical issues that MATLAB and Simulink can raise and they
Long Xin, the project manager of IET-NTU SS delivered a short speech about IET-NTU SS and presented the Techsource professionals with tokens of appreciation. Refreshments were also served. Overall it was a successful event. Students gained essential knowledge and made constructive use of their free recess time.
The Sound Of Music
NTU Cultural Activities Club organizes ARTSPEAK, a fun event featuring the musical talents of Serene Koong and The Freshman
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Five experienced professionals from Techsource came over to NTU to help students use the MATLAB environment and take advantage of its varied tools. MATLAB is a high-level
n the night of November 10, instead of the usual droning sounds of a lecture, LT 26 was reverberating with musical performances, which were part of ARTSPEAK - an event organized by the NTU Cultural Activities Club. The captivating performances, followed by the music infotainment sharing session, were courtesy of famous local artists Serene Koong and The Freshman, a pop duo comprising of Carrie Yeo and Chen Diya. The NTU Cultural Activities Club was joined by Y.E.S. 93.3
Serene Koong and the Freshman at ARTSPEAK in NTU. PHOTO | Zhan Ke ourselves and want to live typical lives. It is important to do what you like and work hard for it. We need to look forward as the day at hand is very important. Every step counts. Every day renews hope,” explained Ms. Koong when asked about her experience until now in the music industry. While the musicians each
have their own style, they shared similar thoughts on the local music industry in Singapore. With their hard work, they plan to put Singapore on the global music scene and by listening to their performances, it is certainly seems that this island-nation’s future in the music industry is a bright one.
From The Desk The Sound Of Silence
By Abha Apte “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
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NOVEMBER 2010
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The Christmas Spirit By Sonali Prasad
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s a little girl, to me Christmas was always synonymous with Santa. Though there was no fireplace or chimney in my home, putting up the red esterday, seeing that a lot of people I knew had posted the same video on Facebook, I checked it stocking near my bed and making a zillion wishes was out myself. It was a TED talk – TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) being a conference an unspoken but mandatory tradition every holiday that features some of the most powerful speeches made by remarkable personalities all over the season. How I wish Santa could find his way up to my hall globe. This video was a speech by Indian social activist, Dr. Sunitha Krishnan, about her crusade room, but, given the confusing vastness of NTU, he would against sexual abuse of children and women. Her speech was brilliant: the accounts of the children probably just lose his way around campus. Sigh. she dealt with, their heartbreaking stories, the sincerity and fire in her voice. What amazed me Now, looking back, Santa was nothing but a fragment the most, though, was Dr. Sunitha’s courage. For a few very important seconds in the video she of my childhood imagination: a proxy for my conscience which spoke out, and shared her own story: a sickening account of gang rape in her youth. drove me to feel guilt after doing something wrong for fear that Martin Luther King, Jr., once said, “Cowardice asks the question: ‘Is it safe?’ Expediency Santa will be noting my name down in his ‘naughty children list’ asks the question: ‘Is it politic?’ Vanity asks the question: ‘Is it popular?’ But conscience while sipping on some hot chocolate atop some sort of ethereal cloud. asks the question, ‘Is it right?’ And there comes a time when one must take a position The day my bubble burst and I found out Santa existed only as a that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but one must take it because one’s character sometimes played by my mom or dad, was earth shattering. conscience tells one that it is right.” And that is just what Dr. Sunitha did. I still wish that I could remain in blissful ignorance, though that is quite Courage is fascinating, important and dangerous at the same time. The impossible, given the fact that my parents are currently in India and they courage to speak out is a priceless protection of human rights, a selfless definitely don’t have an open sleigh or a dozen reindeer at their command. beacon of encouragement to those too scared to speak out, and trait As I grew older, Christmas became a season for get-together parties with friends, that is as important as it is rare. For every victim of bullying, racism, walking down a beautifully lit Orchard road, shopping and Christmas cake. The Santa homophobia, and hate, there is always someone, somewhere, who that remains today is reflected in the fashionable costumes that thin girls wear to exude WILL speak out. hotness totally 180 degrees opposite to the pot-bellied, red-faced bearded old man. The That someone should be you. It should be you, it should be me, it red stocking disappeared, the Christmas carols got replaced by party numbers and so did should be all of us. You don’t need to be a victim. You don’t need to the incentive of being extremely good to others so that you top Santa’s toy distribution list. be a mere witness either. You may be the pimply, shy teen who got The world matured faster than I had ever imagined and it jeered at such nonsensical beliefs mocked in junior high for being fat. You may be the silent observer as goodness and faith. of an act of injustice, too scared to complain. You may be gay, In our busy schedules filled with studies, Facebook, assessments, and again Facebook, closeted, and terrified of society and its prejudices. You may be the we have forgotten what it feels like to stay up late on Christmas Eve in the hope that nerd who everyone always copies assignments from. You may be a we might catch a glimpse of jolly old Saint Nick. We have forgotten what it feels like lot of things. You don’t have to be any of them. to rummage through a stocking full of sweets, toys and books and say thank you to an So I implore you today: Speak out. Feel confidence, not shame. unseen, unknown giver of joy. Look to Mahatma Gandhi, Harvey Milk, Rosa Parks – shining So this Christmas, make a wish and hope it comes true. Become someone’s Santa, and examples of those who refused to be quieted and stood up for what sneak something into his locker or under her pillow. It’ll feel good. And of course, have was right. a Merry Christmas, ho ho ho. Speak out. For yourself, and for that precious somebody else who needs a stronger voice.
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Of Violence By Khushboo Khaitan
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rather disturbing dream suffused my consciousness last week. I was all alone, encircled, for some indiscernable reason, by a multititude of menacing eyes. And they all wanted to kill me. The first question that will probably enter your head is – Why did they want to kill me? Or in case you’re a psychiatrist, specialising in “the reality of dreams”, you might be questioning why I wanted to be killed. I, being the one who dreamt the dream, have a different question. Why were a group of angry-looking, bloodsucking, red ants trying to kill me? I mean, seriously, why ANTS? They’re almost microscopic for crying out loud! I had to find the answer to this intriguing and rather disturbing question. So I studiously ignored all the lab assignments begging me to complete them, all the lecture notes imploring me to read them, and the dreadful exam schedule predicting my inevitable failure, and instead googled “violence”. After receiving three pages of dictionary links, I decided to give up and pick my friends’ brains instead. And the result was even more disturbing than my dream. It seems that all the people I asked had had some sort of dream where the most trivial of creatures or things - beetles, butterflies, books, door-knobs and in one case, a colour palette, which had developed livid bloodshot eyes and were coming to transport them to the unending fires of hell - turn murderously against them. This shows, as my rather judgemental Opinions Editor put it, “a disturbingly violent aura” around university students. I, however, am plagued by something that I think is more fundamental and worrisome. It is a topic that has been discussed time and again and probably will never reach any conclusion. However, after this little survey pushed this troubling reality to the forefronts of my mind, I feel that it’s a subject worth revisiting. Are university students becoming puppets to the educational system? Every little thing we do is marred by a nagging feeling reminding us that we have this assignment due, that quiz on the horizon, this meeting for a presentation, that impending report. We’ve been slaves to this system for so long that we don’t even realize how much time we spend agonizing over it, effectively killing all the fun involved with pure unadulterated learning. And then, our overactive imaginations paint vivid and disturbing dreams where this whole rigmarole threatens to consume us. Is this what life has boiled down to? An infinite schedule of projects, submissions, exams, and the like wherein we lose all that we truly want – a university life where education is interlaced with fun and joy, a collection of memories we will take with us to our grave? Perhaps the answer will come to me in my dreams.
News By Kou Zhigang
NOVEMBER 2010
An Aerial View
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multiple disciplines such as electronics, computers, mechanical, aerospace etc. in his presentation. Prof. McLoughlin said, “Experience comes from doing, not from reading about doing something, or being examined knowledge of doing.” His suggestions to become a good engineer were also enlightening and impressive. In the next session, the quintessential part was the discussion of “How likely it is to stay in NTU upon graduation to work or to pursue further studies?” Nine postgraduates from different research fields spoke of their own experience and tried to attend to the concerns of the audience. A large number of people wished to know about future studies, research opportunities, and prospects in their interested areas. IET NTU Student Section held this event in order to keep the students in NTU aware of the latest engineering technologies, and
Satellite technology and life after graduating from NTU
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nterested in cutting-edge satellite technology? Want to know more about further study and research opportunities in NTU after graduation? IET-NTU Engineering Talk and Netvwork Session provides the answers you’re looking for. Associate Professor Ian Vince McLoughlin, from the School of Computer Engineering, delivered a presentation about new satellite technologies during this talk on November 10. As Principle Investigator for Earth Observatory of Singapore located at NTU, he was involved in designing the NTU Satellite Pay Load, the first satellite for Singapore which will be launched next month. In his talk, he explained the need for satellites to be more efficient in image processing capabilities. Professor McLoughlin pointed out that the developed Parallel Processing Unit, which is reliable and much cheaper than
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Audience listening with rapt attention. previously used processor, can make the intelligence of satellite possible and improve satellites to a higher level. Even if one hadn’t known about satellite technology prior to the talk, it would have still been easy
Assoc. Prof. Ian McLoughlin (Right). PHOTOS | Courtesy to follow the talk because the professor explained even the basic concepts in his presentation. The whole talk had smooth transitions by progressively raising the difficulty of the content delivered. It was professional and easy to understand despite the complexity of the topic. “The talk was interesting and the topic is new. I can get a basic overall understanding of this technology now. ” said Hari Priya, who
is pursuing her Master’s degree at NTU. She said that she had a very interesting conversation with the professor who obliged to talk to her group of friends as well. Professor Ian also gave precious advice to engineering students at the end of the presentation. “Stay flexible. Work in the areas you are interested in.” He said cross-disciplinary thoughts are quite important, which could be seen in the involvement of
also to facilitate them to be better prepared for the industry. The event held firm to their motto, “The Bridge between School and Career” and surpassed expectations. The IET hold a series of activities like software workshops, industrial tours, and even competitions to exhibit one’s presentation skills. These indeed help students in NTU to make a smooth transition from academic to corporate life.
Green
THE TRIBUNE
NOVEMBER 2010
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Show Me A Garden, That’s Bursting Into Life
By Shruti Boddu
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estled away from the bustling city life is Envirospace Consultants’ Garden and Landscape Centre. Landscape Architecture, a big term for most people, is practiced with ease here, along with the much interlinked Rooftop Gardening. Over here, beauty can be both seen and touched, quite literally. Visitors are welcomed with a Green Vertical Wall, beautifully trimmed and seemingly defying gravity, with the grass tips cordially reaching out to all comers alike. Complimenting this magnificent visual is the ever-loving presence of Uncle Richard. At 75, there seems to be no plummeting of energy levels on his part. Whether it’s travelling around the world, practising the art of landscape architecture, or just staying home and dispensing invaluable advice to university students, he’s done it all. As we introduce ourselves to him, his Puerto Rican T-shirt
smiles out to us all, a souvenir of one of his many travels. Talks on love, life and gardening hold our attention, and after thirty minutes of this, we all feel smarter, happier, and somehow greener. Thus, we begin our course on rooftop gardening. Rooftop gardening is exactly what its name suggests. Making a garden on the top of a roof. It can be purely decorative or serve specialized
functions such as the one we had in mind. We were hoping to see something compliant with the eco-friendly purposes of environmental sustainability and temperature control. A rooftop garden reduces the overall temperature inside the building it is built upon and is a great way to cut down on indiscriminate airconditioner use. For this short workshop, we used compost andan equal
PHOTO | Courtesy
amount of pumice stone, the combination of which was to be the “soil” for the soon to be made rooftop garden. Pumice stone is an excellent water retainer. The compost consisted of hundreds of earthworms and snails, scuttling and toiling away in the brown mess, with each crawl purifying the compost that much more. Shovels were used for the entire mixing process. The ultimate challenge was to transport the bamboo to be used in the boundary for our little garden to the rooftop with some amount of competency and without feeling like rather clumsy apes. But everything has a technique, following which can make even the hardest things easy. The base layer was for drainage - no one wants a mini shower while watching television due to simultaneous gardening activities at the aforementioned roof garden. This drainage layer was covered by a moisture blanket- a textile that ensures that the plants have enough moisture to support life. After this laying out process
You Don’t Need To Be Superman To Save The World
By Shreya Sharma
Do your part to protect the Earth by contributing to EarthLink’s recycling drive!
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ow many times have you walked past a recycling bin at NTU, made a mental note to use it to dispose off your papers and then forgotten about it the moment you walked away? Recycling may seem like a trivial and insignificant act and it is a general mindset that one can or one piece of paper doesn’t make a difference. However, the simple act of recycling can help reduce your carbon footprint massively and hence, make the Earth greener and cleaner.
Earthlink has chartered an extensive plan to highlight the importance of recycling and to encourage the students at NTU to ‘go green’. Last year, the club managed to collect 380 kg of waste during its recycling drive. This year, they plan to more than double the results with the aim of collecting 800 kg of recyclable material from the sixteen halls of residence and the various clubs and societies at NTU. Students can recycle their old clothes along with the traditional paper, glass, bottles, cans and plastics. The recycling team at Earthlink plans to target the examination halls where students throw away a considerable amount of paper waste. They also intend to involve the teaching and
administrative staff to help inculcate and promote ecofriendly habits. The recycling drive, tentatively scheduled to be held from December 23 to December 31, is one of the many endeavors undertaken by Earthlink to help students develop a sense of love and appreciation for nature and the environment. Sarthak Agrawal, the Head of Recycling for Earthlink, sums it up well when he says, “NTU students can help make this world a more sustainable place to live in and preserve the very complex balance present between every entity in nature. We hope that when these students grow up and hold various important positions in the society, they do something for it which will have a much larger and pronounced effect.”
PHOTO | Courtesy
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and tying of the sheet to the bamboo, the mixture of compost and pumice was laboriously brought up to the roof using sacks, wheelbarrows, and anything else that could make this process less arm-wrenching. The soil was subsequently spread out on the moisture blanket, and small plants were carefully planted in a zigzag manner. Mr. Wong, who works under Uncle Richard, oversaw our entire venture and gave as invaluable tips. “I never went to school”, he says. “All you need is common sense.” This experience covered the making of a very basic roof garden. Most roof gardens require many more layers and a drainage system, for proper and safer functioning. However, gardening, like everything else, requires a start from the basics. At the end of the day, we all went back with more than just the art of gardening. We went back with most favourable sense of accomplishment that only seven hours of labour under the sun can teach you.
Editorial Opinion
NOVEMBER 2010
The Old And The Restless
By Abha Apte Singapore’s elderly - the exhausting plight of an older, wearier generation
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n Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, I have an 8:30am class. I pass through the North Spine around this time, and every day, like clockwork, I see the same elderly woman who cleans the surrounding area. She is a tiny, wizened old woman, who looks well over her sixties. She pushes around an impossibly heavy cart of cleaning supplies and a mop, and cleans the entire stretch of corridor. She moves with the slow, pained motions of one who is too physically weak for manual labor, and too mentally exhausted to protest the same. Singapore is no stranger to such sights. It is with an uneasy regularity that I see the elderly sleeping at bus stops, collecting cardboard boxes and cans, or mechanically carrying out the lowly tasks of sweeping, cleaning, and other menial work. It makes me feel uncomfortable, and guilty. Guilty, for enjoying the comfort and safety of youth, while
watching another generation age so miserably, so unjustly. For a nation that supports a talented workforce and boasts of a thriving economy, Singapore is disappointingly blasé about its older, poorer habitants. There are government measures for the same: for example, the compulsory nationwide pension scheme called Central Provident Fund (CPF). However, this is not as helpful as it should be: with over-priced public housing and Singapore’s high cost of living, these savings are rapidly depleted. The elderly, thus, have to continue working well past their prime to support themselves. A common observation by many foreign tourists is the number of poverty-stricken elderly seen in public. This raises the question: couldn’t the government do much, much more? Our politicians’ insensitivity was observed in the past: Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew suggested that elderly Singaporeans be more ‘productive’ and work ‘as long as they can’. MP Lee Bee Wah even wanted a reduction in the funds provided by the Employment Assistance Payment – designed to help elderly workers who have just left their jobs – for the reason
The elderly must be entitled to a comfortable and happy post-retirement. ILLUSTRATION | Anshu Garodia
that it would ‘create financial hardships for smaller firms’. Singapore was not built in a day. It took more than a single heartbeat to conjure up this magnificent city; it was not in the blink of an eye that a culture of its own came to be. Past generations of tireless, unwavering minds and bodies created these walls and roads; many of them now lay helpless: abandoned and alone. The retirement age in Singapore is likely to rise to 65 by the year 2012, and eventually to 67. As healthcare improves steadily and the standard of living rises rapidly, life expectancy increases. Although people live longer, they also struggle harder, and grow weaker. Some of our grandparents go on vacations, and play with their grandchildren, and gossip with other grandmas and grandpas about whose daughter ran away with whose gardener. They are loved, and cared for, and wanted. Heartbreakingly, they are the lucky minority; the exceptions to the rule. Increasing the retirement age gradually might just mean that the elderly will face an unending cycle of having to work well past their abilities to support themselves. A valid counter-argument is that work is necessary, and preferred. Many people find themselves directionless and lost without a job: for older persons who work for their love for the job, or to keep themselves busy, there are no such tragic issues as often, the job in question is adequately paid and comfortable. However, for those who must work to support their bare-minimum needs – for the old, unskilled, and desperately poor, menial labor is often the only way to make ends meet. Statistics further point to the elephant in the room – older Singaporeans are much more likely to succumb to suicide, sickness, mental illness, and depression than their younger counterparts. There are an increasing number of cases of elderly abuse and neglect in nursing homes and households. This deserves immediate attention and response, and a solid longterm policy formulation by the government, for whom the issue of the increasing elderly population will otherwise snowball into an even more serious situation than it already is. With advancing age, many of doors of opportunity firmly
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The dismal prospects of retirement and financial stress. PHOTO | Internet close themselves. Companies do not want aged workers: they are often seen as more of a liability especially compared to younger, fresher graduates. Families, cruel and unsaid as these sentiments may be, often feel the strain of taking care of an elderly individual. Asian countries, though, are known for their iron-wrought values. Children are brought up to willingly take care of old, sick, often physically incapable parents. Admirable as this notion is, is it too much of a command to be effective? Singapore actually has measures to encourage more families to live with their elders; the government has provided tax subsidies to families who live together with them, and various schemes like the Public Assistant Scheme, which provides monthly grants to poor and needy elderly who are ‘abandoned’ by their families. And these schemes do work to a small extent – but every year, nursing homes house more and more people, and spots in the city still bear the depressing marks of the homeless elderly. Why do children need these incentives to motivate them into taking care of their parents? For
almost 25 years of our lives, we are clothed, fed, educated, and nourished by two people whose whole lives revolve around us. Why, then, is repaying the same favor so hard? When I grab a bite to eat in Canteen A between classes, I see the cleaners who clear the tables. This thought always fleetingly passes my mind: it should be kids doing this: teenagers looking for extra money or tuition fees. Not old, tired men and women working far past their prime. And I realize: I do not want to grow old like this. And I cannot subject my parents to this; nobody’s story deserves such a lonely, exhausted ending. Age is much, much more than just a number. It is a proudly worn badge in youth; it is a comforting safety net in young adulthood; it is a warm cocoon of family, mortgages and neighborhood gossip in middle age. And in the last, weary stage of a very long life, it is for some, a hopeful end to a very tiring journey. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this section do not represent the views of The Tribune. They are independent views of the writer.
News
NOVEMBER 2010
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Local Spooks Haunt The Underground
By Swaroop Sriram Halloween Rave was filled with creepy fun and memories to take back.
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lmost a thousand people dressed in innovative costumes, classy music, great drinks and a jam packed dance floor. If there’s still a doubt about what is described here, then you have certainly missed this year’s Halloween Rave Underground Party. The event was held on October 27 at a location which was undisclosed until 10 PM that night. Set amidst the previous location of the Singapore Turf Club, Mimolette, a local club, was the venue for this vivacious Halloween party. Desmond Choo, a Year 4 Mechanical Engineering student from NTU; Emilio Jimenez, an exchange student at SMU from Ecuador; and Jasmine from UK were the key organisers. Local, international
and exchange students from NTU, NUS and SMU arrived in 2 batches as per their convenience. Transportation was provided to all those who had booked their tickets during the registration period. The organisers had also arranged for on-the-spot purchase of tickets for those who were unable to get tickets prior to the event. The walk from the drop off point to the location of the party was an experience by itself! Guests were made to walk through a dark path in the woods. A ‘gorilla-man’ did a good job of setting the mood for the Halloween party ahead. Martin, an exchange student from Sweden had this to say “It’s great! Everyone is dressed up and it’s a superb party atmosphere here.” The event was ‘costume innovation’ at its best. From the conventional witch and demon costumes to rather creative ones with males dressing up as females and vice-versa – this party had it all! Groups of friends had even
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themed their attire for a unique identity. One such distinctive group had superbly categorised their attire with guys and girls dressed as Singapore Airlines airhostesses and flight captains respectively. Swedish exchange student to NUS, Frederick who had come with a group of friends dressed as Native Americans, said “It’s good to have lot of people here and the music is great to dance to.” With five DJs from NTU, NUS, and SMU playing music of diverse genres, both indoors and outdoors, guests could choose to party in either location. In addition to the DJs, there was also a live band D.E.A.D that performed heavy metal music. The live band however, received mixed reactions. Finnish exchange student Roosa said, “I have seen better live bands at parties. But the DJs are good.” Although the event was predominantly targeted at the exchange students, a lot of local and international students also attended the event recording a whopping attendance of 987 people. Emilio, one of the organisers candidly shared, “It was a great experience organising this event. These events make an integral part of life here in Singapore for all the exchange students.” The vibrant life of the city, an experience of a lifetime, new friends, and most of all memories to take back: Halloween Rave Underground 2010 had it all!
Desmond Choo (centre) and Emilio (right)
PHOTOS | Courtesy
Sports
THE TRIBUNE NOVEMBER 2010
Its Raining Medals
By Vignesh Gopalakrishnan Felicitation to NTU’s sportsman spirit.
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he Sports Awards Ceremony 2010 honoured all individuals who represented NTU in their respective sporting arenas. All sportsmen, who have represented NTU during their course of study and brought sporting laurels to the University, were appreciated on October 23 at the NTU Sports Award Ceremony. Everyone was honoured with the Colours Award for their accomplishments in their respective sport at the Nanyang Executive Centre Auditorium. Indeed it has been a fruitful year for NTU as far as sports is concerned. NTU was represented in all the categories in the IVP (Inter Varsity Polytechnic) 09/10 and capped a very good year by winning five of the seventeen titles for which they competed, more than any other tertiary institution. All except two teams managed a top 4 finish in their respective sport. In SUniG (Singapore University Games) 09/10, 6 of our university’s teams emerged
as champions for their respective category. NTU was also crowned overall champion in SUniG 10/11 for the first time since the inception of the competition,
players of NTU for their success, and at the same time, telling everyone to keep up the spirit of sportsmanship. A total of about 176 awards
Proud winners. PHOTO | Courtesy beating the perennial rival NUS. The Guest of Honour for the Sports Award Ceremony, Prof. Er Meng Hwa, Senior Associate Provost, delivered a stirring speech, commending all the
were given out at the ceremony. A total of 94 students from various sports were felicitated for their outstanding contributions to the sports teams. Then, 53 half-colour awards, and 20 full-colour awards
were given away. Also, 9 Special and Higher Award Winners including the Sports Grant, the Dragonboat Endowed Bursaries, The SPIRIT award, the University Red award, and Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year Awards were bestowed upon NTU’s star performers in the field of sports. The sports grant was given to Tan Jia Xiong Derick, who was the Dragonboat men’s team captain in 2008 and Tiong Suet Kuan Serena, captain of the Women’s Floorball Team. Venessa Koh, Ng Wan Pei and Koh Seng Long were awarded the Poh Boon San and Stephen Loh Soon Ann Dragonboat Endowed Bursaries. Ms. Anne Goh, the coach of the women’s touch football team was awarded the NTU SPIRIT award for her remarkable contributions to the sport of touch football in NTU. The University Red Award went to Ashley Ong Chun Aun. Mr. Adriel Chua Boon Rong, an illustrious member of NTU’s archery team, who has also competed in international events, received the Sportsman of the Year award. He delivered a passionate speech talking about
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how dedication, discipline, and a good support system was what makes a sportsman successful. Jovina Choo Bei Fen, an out-and-out athlete, has played different sports with distinction. This included a stint on the NTU women’s touch football team. Currently, sailing is her focus. She was awarded the Sportswoman of the Year Award. In her speech, she motivated the audience to undertake new endeavours and to strive towards them. It may turn out to be something you might be good at or have an interest in. Clearly her motto in life is nothing is impossible. “It is really good that NTU appreciates its sportspersons. It makes us want to strive harder to reach perfection in our respective sports. It gives us an extra incentive to do well - to be awarded at the Sports Award Ceremony recognizes the fact that you are one of the NTU’s best, and that’s an achievement!” said Mayank Mahajan, an NTU SCE graduate who was awarded a Merit Award, for his contributions to the NTU cricket team. Congratulations to all our athletes for giving us a memorable year of sporting achievements. May the upcoming years bring many more milestones!
Football Team Stands Tall By Ma Jun Prize Presentation ceremony of the NTU Women’s Football Team
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fter nearly one and a half months of tough football matches of the FAS Women Youth League, the NTU Women’s Football Team finally realized their dream of winning the championship. On the evening of November 3, the prize presentation ceremony for the Women’s Youth League Prize was held at Jalan Besar Stadium to appreciate the efforts of all the participating teams and to give away the trophy to the winning team. Amidst the enthusiastic cheering and applause from the adoring crowd, the NTU Women’s Football Team, dressed in their white NTU Spirit T-shirt, proudly made their way to the podium. The Guest of Honour, Mr. Jeffrey Beh of Football Association of Singapore, shook hands with the team members and felicitated
each player of the team with a medal. The captain of the team, Nuriah Noor, was then presented with the Challenge Trophy. A $1000 cheque was also awarded to the Team Manager. As the team raised the trophy for the audience, a burst of applause rang out in the stadium. Nuriah also won the top scorer award as she scored 21 goals in eight matches. One of the team members said, “We truly deserve this championship. Our training was rigorous, but besides that, all of us were willing to put our best foot forward for the team as we all had the same goal, that was- winning the championship of the FAS Women’s Youth League!” The team set up an unbeaten record by winning seven matches and drawing against the SAS team. Compared to the other nine teams in the competition, NTU Women’s Football Team proved to be the best team throughout. The coach of NTU Women’s Football Team, Mr. Selvakumar said, “Our success in the championship this year is solely
due to the efforts of everyone in the team. All the team members had a positive attitude towards training. They cooperated with each other in order to get along well as a team. Also, they did a lot of tactical exercises, and
always tried their best to finish all the tasks I set. I feel that the NTU Women’s Football Team is a very united group and I am completely satisfied with their achievement.” As students of NTU, all of us are
Football glory. PHOTO | Courtesy
proud of our team’s achievement. This win will give the NTU Women’s Football Team a morale boost and help them strive even harder for success. Hope our team sets new records and gets us many more laurels in future.
Sports
THE TRIBUNE
NOVEMBER 2010
Serve, Volley, Smash!
By Ma Jun, Ananya Roy Arun Prakash crowned champion of the NTU Tennis Open.
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ecember 12, 8:00pm. The much awaited Men’s Singles final of the NTU Tennis Open Championship finally took place and after a series of gruelling matches, Arun Prakash finally emerged the winner of the tournament. The NTU Tennis Open Championship is an annual tournament organised by the NTU Tennis Club and serves as an excellent opportunity for all tennis enthusiasts regardless of their skill level to compete against one another. It exposes the Tennis Club members to competitive tennis at the intra-varsity level. All students, staff, as well as alumni of NTU and NIE can participate in this competitive and
By Vignesh Gopalakrishnan NTU teams win gold at the National Canoe Polo Championship
Winner in action. PHOTOS | Courtesy exciting event. This year, there were a total of 49 participants in the Men›s Singles category and sixteen pairs in Men›s Doubles
category. F.X. Ivan and Arun Prakash, the finalists for the Men’s Singles category, were also the finalists for the men’s doubles category. This meant that the Men’s Doubles final that was originally scheduled to take place on November 12, the same day as the Singles final, had to be postponed to November 15. Arun Prakash, a very talented player considered the favorite by many before the final match, defeated reigning champion Ivan, 6-4, 7-6(7-4) to claim the title. Arun, along with his doubles partner Bharath, also clinched the Doubles title. Aces flew all around the court and the crowd was treated to a number of marvelous backhand and forehand volleys. Some incredible smashes helped Arun win crucial points. Initially, Ivan’s serve troubled Arun. However, the challenger, who has a very strong forehand and an
attacking style of play, remained undaunted and after almost two hours of skilful serves and volleys, Arun emerged the winner beating Ivan in straight sets. Arun, who played consistently well throughout the tournament and was not unduly troubled by any of his opponents, was
had a play off, the winner of which played the second placed team. The winner then went on to face the first placed team in
canoe polo. The men’s team had a fairly easy run to the title, winning every first round encounter, before
T
he NTU canoe polo team reached the pinnacle of success in their short history with a double gold, for both the men’s and women’s categories, at the National Canoe Polo championships held in August. Both teams faced stiff competition from the likes of SIM and Singapore Polytechnic, but emerged victorious at the inter-tertiary segment of the championships. There were a total of 7 tertiary institutions participating. Canoe polo is similar to water polo, the main differences being that both teams move around on boats or canoes, and that the goal is two meters above water. Both teams consist of five players, involved in both attack and defense. Canoe polo is a fairly new sport in itself, being conceived merely twelve years ago. It has not yet achieved the popularity of other water sports, such as canoeing and dragonboating, but is doing well for
Victorious Canoe Polo Team. PHOTO | Courtesy other once in the first round, at the conclusion of which, three teams were eliminated. Then the third and fourth placed teams
the first round, for the final of the tournament. The winners of this final were then crowned the national tertiary champions of
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finally rewarded for his efforts on November 15, at the prize presentation ceremony held at the SRC. As one of his friends said, “He deserves this championship. His training was rigorous and his spirit of never giving up helped him beat all his opponents and here he is today, as the champion.”
Double semifinal at the SRC.
Canoe Polo Teams Excel itself. The format of the Intertertiary segment was such that every institute played each
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comfortably beating SIM in the finals for the Gold. However, the women’s team had quite a bumpy ride to the top. After a challenging
first round, in which they finished third, they had to battle it out against NUS, and then Ngee Ann Polytechnic, to play the final against Singapore Polytechnic. After a closely fought final, the NTU women’s team finally managed to take the Gold medal in their category as well, as NTU completed a clean sweep of medals at the championships. The canoe polo teams have received a lot of support along their way to success, from their coach Mr. Seah Yu Xiang, their advisor, Mr. Yum, the lifeguards at the training facility, the seniors who have passed out of NTU as well as the junior teams. The NTU canoe polo team’s profile has been raised with their success this year at the championship. With the increasing popularity of the sport, also comes increasing demands for canoes, paddles and other training related material. In view of their success, the team hopes to get support in every way possible. It is only beneficial if the right people take notice of the success of the canoe polo teams at the national level, and inject more funding into the development of this sport at NTU. Kudos to the NTU canoe polo team!
Sports By Ananya Roy Men’s Tennis 2010, at a glance
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he year 2010 has been a marvellous one for all tennis lovers. This year has seen new players emerging and grabbing the top spots in the ATP rankings while the older ones fade away in the background. The first grand slam of the year, the Australian Open saw Roger Federer regain the crown that he had lost to Rafel Nadal the year before, after Nadal retired during the quarter finals due to injury. Post victory, Federer remarked, “I always knew I had this in my hand. But, the question is did I have it in my mind.” Rightly said as though Federer has mastered every stroke and style of play, he was not the master of his mind for the rest of the year. Next in line was the French Open which saw a few early upsets. Federer and Djokovic could not get past the quarter finals but Nadal displayed some of his best game since 2008. Making short work of his Swedish opponent Robin Soderling in the finals, he claimed the title in straight sets and won back the numero uno ranking that
By Sriramkumar Balasubramanian Carrying Goals to Newcastle: Geordies on the Rise
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May 2009, a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Aston Villa, sent Newcastle United crashing out of the Premiership, suffering their first relegation in 16 years. Championship football beckoned with no guarantee of return to the top-flight with star striker Michael Owen abandoning the ship in search of greener pastures with Manchester United. A year later, the ‘Toon’ have returned to the promised land under the ever-cool Chris Hughton, having dominated the 2nd tier of English football. Football is a way of life in the Geordie Country – as it is called and emotions run very high among the people with regard football. St. James’ Park has become a fortress once again in the Premiership and with only 12 games played so far, Newcastle find themselves sitting cosily at 5th spot having scored 21 goals in the process. Shock results like the
NOVEMBER 2010
Tennis Mania
he had lost to Federer last winter. Nadal followed his Rolan Garros clay court win with his grass court domination at Wimbledon to show his all-court prowess beating Tomas Berdych to claim his second title at the All England Club. Nadal once again proved to the world that he is not just the
his second US Open title. The imperious Spaniard became the youngest of all time and only the seventh man in history to complete a career grand slam. Federer, Djokovic, Berdych, Murray, there is not a player who did not try to derail this man hell bent on reaching his destiny.
Champion of the year. PHOTO | Internet king of clay but one of the very best the game has ever seen, with his victory over Novak Djokovic at Flushing Meadows giving him
They were all unsuccessful. This year Nadal has been in the best of form, displaying the quickest feet, the best stroke play and an
Football Fever 6-0 drubbing of Aston Villa, the 1-0 defeat of Arsenal and last but not the least knocking out Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the Carling Cup has increased the noise levels considerably at Tyneside. This summer, the signings of
in addition to the temperamental Joey Barton, the ‘pacy’ Jonas Gutierrez and Captain Courageous, Kevin Nolan, has made the Geordie outfit stronger on all fronts in spite of their captain Nicky Butt opting to hang
PHOTO | Internet Everton youngster Dan Gosling, Ivory Coast defensive midfielder Check Tiote and the one-time French wunderkind Hatem Ben Arfa on loan from Marseille were added to the Magpies to boost their survival chances. The influx,
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THE TRIBUNE
his boots, ending his illustrious career. Brushing aside an opening day 3-0 defeat at the hands of Manchester United, Newcastle have improved match after match with goals flying all over the park including their 5-1 thrashing of
unparalleled will to win. Apart from the four grand slams, another important event in the tennis calendar is the Davis Cup. This year Singapore finished joint third in the Asia/Oceania Zone Group IV in 2010, after losing 2-1 to UAE in the promotional playoffs. In events to come, Serbia will host France in the Davis Cup final this December. The finals will pit a visiting team that has won the title nine times against the home team that had not won a world group tie until March last year. France though, will have to make do without one of their key players, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga who was recently diagnosed with an injury forcing him out of the competition. The Serbians were made to work hard throughout the tournament and beat last year’s finalists, Czech Republic to make it to the finals. They sure would be looking forward to a lot of support from the home crowd. This year threw up quite a few surprises. Some rejoiced and some were left weeping. But, the world sure got to see some hard fought and well contested matches. Heart-breaking losses and emphatic wins, tennis this year had it all.
derby rivals Sunderland. This and many more has been mainly due to the ‘coming-of-age’ of Andy Caroll, a classical number 9 centre forward with the ability to win matches single handed. From total obscurity, to being on the international radar, Caroll has come a long way. A diehard Toon since childhood, Caroll is on the road to emulating his idol and Tyneside Legend, Alan Shearer. The striking similarity between the two players’ style of play has even made the entire nation cry for a national team call-up. In addition to Caroll’s rise to prominence, skipper Nolan and the talented Joey Barton have also risen to the task, and steadied the ship. On the whole, the performance of the team so far has galvanized the premiership let along Tyneside. Within touching distance of the top of the table, the Magpies are on course to surprising the entire Premiership let alone themselves. This season once again promises to be an entertainer. How will Newcastle ultimately fare this season? Pretenders or serious contenders? Stay tuned for the journey ahead and come May, we all will know.
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Quickies On And Off The Field “I have to say I’m addicted to Twitter now to be honest. It really bridges that gap between us and the fans.” England and Manchester United defender, Rio Ferdinand, on Twitter “My goal is to win the Champions League and I’ve always said that I can do that at other clubs.” Bayern Munich and German midfield maestro, Bastian Schweinsteiger, on moving away from the club in January transfer window “How can somebody reveal that we were making ten changes? That is our business and please don’t write it on there.” Blackpool boss, Ian Holloway, on a certain fansite showing the team sheet 24 hours before the match against Aston Villa “I’ll stay here because I›m no quitter or a person who doesn’t fight.” Liverpool and Serbian striker, Milan Jovanovic, on his future at Anfield “I can’t deny we have a bad record; the only thing I can say is we will try to improve it.” Arsenal Gaffer, Arsene Wenger, on Arsenal’s poor showing on the Fair Play table “I’m looking forward to this challenge but it’s massively hard to leave Manchester United. When I told the manager I almost had a tear in my eye.” Manchester United legend and reserve team coach, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, on leaving United to manage Norwegian outfit Molde
27 Sports On Your Mark, Get Set, Go THE TRIBUNE
NOVEMBER 2010
By Grant Dinarto
NTU finishes second at the IVP Track and Field 2010
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he IVP (Inter Varsity Polytechnic) Track and Field 2010, a competition held between Universities, Polytechnics, and the Institute of Technical Education in Singapore every year, was held from October 24 to October 30. What made the event even most interesting was that NTU was the host this year. Pole vault, javelin throw and the jump event are a few instances of the many field events that took place at this year’s IVP for track and field events. NTU finished at a decent second position in the overall standing behind only NUS who, once again, emerged the champions. Historically NUS has been the dominant force in this competition. However, they are not
strong enough to make it impossible for the others to topple them and claim the coveted title. The NTU’s men’s track and field team managed to secure second position in the men’s overall standing. NUS grabbed the top spot with 247 points while SMU finished third with 92 points. NTU men’s team captain, Collin Tung Zhi Sing, secured the third place in both the 800m and 1500m men’s categories. He said that they were happy and content as they had fulfilled their objective of getting the second place, which had been set before the competition. In the same event, Oon Kuan Yong, Vice-captain of the NTU track team, managed to secure the second place. Year round training, along with a number of other personal sacrifices, was the price paid to attain these results. The academic workload and the joys of social life were also set aside, on a number of occasions, as athletes exercised and tested their commitment for
their sport. Determination, commitment, fighting spirit, and hard work are some of the exemplary qualities which helped this team succeed and reach the level they are currently at. The women’s team was able to finish second in the women’s overall standing with 133 points; a long way ahead of the third placed Nanyang Polytechnic, who managed to finish with 92 points. They were even able to set several new championship records in a few categories. Women’s 400m, 200m and 4x400m were the three events in which the NTU women’s team won and set new records. The participating institutes usually take turns to organize this event. This year, in NTU, it was organised under the guidance of Mr. Chia Chin Yeh, the assistant manager of Sports & Recreation Center, Student Affairs Office, who was the team manager and one of the head organizers for IVP Track and Field 2010. He
explained that the organizers are responsible for the administrative aspects of the competition. They ought to liase with Singapore Athletic Association to provide officials for IVP Track and Field 2010. The organizers were also required to meet the team manager from each of the Universities and Polytechnics and the Institute of Technical Education to discuss the rules and regulations for the event. Team manager, Mr Chia Chin Yeh said that he was expecting the NTU team to finish second in the overall standings. He admitted that it was indeed difficult to think about defeating NUS this year as they had a good number of athletes who contested in most of the events and getting a second place overall standing should be considered a good result for NTU in this scenario. He feels that the women’s team could have won the overall women’s championship but the nature of the competition is such that there are other
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factors which determine winning or losing. It is not just the final event. Nonetheless, the performance of our women athletes exceeded all expectations. The team coach Mr. Loh Chan Pew also agrees with Mr Chia about this. Mr Loh, who has been NTU’s coach for quite a few years now, is pleased with the performance of our athletes. He is satisfied with the level of commitment the athletes have displayed, starting right from training, to the selection process, and finally till the actual competition itself. Overall the IVP Track and Field 2010 was a successful and memorable competition for our athletes and the organizers alike. They were able to achieve the goal they had set prior to the competition and also succeeded in conducting the event without any major problems. Some of our athletes are already in their final year so this might be the last competition in which they would be representing NTU. The Tribune team respects them for their contributions to the team and hope that the younger athletes will emulate them in their future track and field endeavours. Congratulations to the NTU team for their impressive performance and we hope they will keep up the good work and strive do even better in future.
WE ARE SORRY!
IVP Track and Field Action. PHOTO | Courtesy
We apologize for the errors in the articles in the sports section of the October issue. We regret the mistakes and they will not be repeated henceforth.
Sports By Ananya Roy
A chat with the captain of the victorious NTU Men’s Football Team
NOVEMBER 2010
Frank Speak
preparation going into tournament? Feroz: Our preparation for the tournament was hampered to a certain extent due to the YOG
Tribune: How difficult was it competing against the teams from other universities and who would you consider your strongest competitor?
F
or the first time since the inception of SUinG (Singapore University Games), NTU was declared overall champion, beating its arch rival NUS. All the teams from NTU gave in their best to achieve this result. One such team is our men’s soccer team who finally went on to win a gold medal in their category. During a short interview with Mohd Feroz Shah, the captain of the NTU men’s football team, he shares his opinion on the performance of his team during the event and also his Suing experience. Tribune: How was the feeling of winning the gold medal at SUnig? Feroz: It was simply great, winning the gold medal after three years. The last time NTU won gold in football was in 2007 and I was not a part of the team then. After I joined the team, it was a disappointment not to win for two years in a row. Those losses make this victory even sweeter for me. Tribune: How was your
Captain Incredible: Feroz. PHOTO | Courtesy (Youth Olympic Games) which was held in our campus. While other Universities had already begun intensive training for the games, while we had to find alternative ways to train as we did not always get an opportunity to train at the NTU fields.
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Feroz: Teams from all the Universities are extremely talented and gave us a tough fight till the finish. It does not matter which team is a better one, its performance on the day of the match is what counts. We started off poorly, losing the
opening match to SIM; whom I would consider the strongest opponents we faced, if I had to choose one. Our second game also ended in a draw and our morale was very low after that. But we never gave up and came back strongly beating rivals NUS 2-0 in the finals to clinch the championship. Tribune: Were there any special changes made to your team in the build up to the games? Feroz: We trained with the same team at the SRC thrice a week, but with a new coach. We also had a new team manager before SUnig. Training and management was conducted differently and in a much better manner. I attribute part of my team’s success to our new support staff. Tribune: Could you tell us something about your team’s strengths? Feroz: Good cohesion, teamwork, determination and the fighting spirit which keeps us going till the end and has helped us win many tournaments. Tribune: Tell us about a few players on whom you can always count on during any match. Feroz: My vice-captain, Kennard Gan, Lakesh, Tan
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Ri Peng and myself form the backbone of our team. We are always up for any challenge and are the ones who motivate and inspire the tean to give their best. Tribune: Any upcoming events for which your team is preparing? Feroz: Our next tournament is the IVP (Inter Varsity Polytechnic). The polytechnics have professional players in their teams and we are eagerly looking forward to competing with some of the best teams in Singapore. We are training once or twice a week depending on coach availability. We will resume intensive training from the last week of December, after the examinations, all the way to the IVP, which begins in mid Jan. Tribune: Any message you would like to give budding footballers in NTU? Feroz: My message to all footballers in NTU would be that we should always remember that we started playing football as kids because we enjoyed it and this feeling of enjoyment should never leave us, to be replaced by sheer objectivity about the winning and losing part of the game. Enjoy every moment of the game because you play it as you are passionate about it!
Winners In Their Own Right
By Ananya Roy
held its nerve. In the 2000 meter category the NTU ladies and mixed teams finished fourteenth whereas the men’s team finished sixteenth. Also, the team clinched the second position in the mixed 200 meter minor finals category giving them an overall standing of eighth in the competition. The men’s team knocked out Camsur Philippines, finishing first in the minor final category with an overall standing of seventh position while the ladies finish at
NTU Dragon boat team does the university proud
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he 7th Club Crew Championship, a biannual dragon boating competition was held in the Chinese city of Macau from July 28 to August 1, 2010. This world class competition was organised by the International Dragon Boat Federation on the Nam Van Lake in Macau. Many local and foreign teams took part in this competition and the NTU team was honoured to be given a chance to participate in an event of this magnitude. Apart from Singapore, the Czech Republic, Germany, Russia, China, Australia, the United States, of America, Canada, Philippines, Hong Kong, Macau, UAE, Trinidad and Iran also competed in this event. Dragon boating has evolved from a village practice of
The dragon boat team in action. PHOTOS | Courtesy commemoration to a sport that is now recognised the world over. Over the past few years, dragon boating has gained global popularity and would be competed for the first time a the Asian Games 2010. The Club Crew World Championship has been drawing in people from diverse backgrounds to participate and compete at the
second highest level for this sport, after the World Championship where representation is by country. It requires dedication, diligence, endurance and strength and most importantly perfect unity and the NTU team had it all. NTU’s delegation had to compete with many talented teams from around the world but
Challenging the other teams.
twelfth position. A very laudable performance given that this is out team’s maiden international competition. Apart from the sporting experience the team gained, this event gave the NTU athletes global exposure and a chance to foster new ties with players from different nations. The team hopes to do even better in the 2012 championships to be held in Hong Kong and bring glory to the university.