Archive for the ‘Latest Happenings’ Category
40th ITDs’ First Post!
June 1st, 2013 by IT DirectorHi Hwa Chong!
We are Chan Yu Siang (13A10), Kannan Ramanathan (13S75), and Ye Yixin (13S6E), and we are your IT Directors from the 40th Hwa Chong Students’ Council. We will be managing all IT-related matters from council, including HCunite! We would like to start off by introducing the various councillors and their respective roles.
| Executive Committee: | |
| Non-Standing Executive Committee: | |
| President | Yong Zhu Cheng |
| Vice-President | Kim Mi Yeon |
| Gen Secretary | Delia Poh Xue Qi |
| Gen Secretary | Long Jun Da, Darrel |
| Gen Treasurer | Ong Xin Jie |
| Standing Committee Chairpersons: | |
| SnR Chairperson | Hia Rui Le, Joshua |
| WelCo Chairperson | Seah Sing Lynn, Sylvia |
| PubCo Chairperson | Chew Shan Wei |
| ECACO Chairperson |
Chua Yi Zhe Gabriel |
| Social and Relations Committee (SnR) | |
| Chairperson | Hia Rui Le, Joshua |
| Secretary-Treasurer | Sabrina Lau Hui Ling |
| Attache | Kim Mi Yeon |
| Inter-Intra Collegiate | Loh Jian An, Lionell |
| Inter-Intra Collegiate | Luo Wen |
| Internal Projects Coordinator | Pratyay Jaidev |
| Internal Projects Coordinator | Tham Yumei, Cheryl |
| Apollo Faculty Head | Lim Mingxia |
| Apollo Deputy Faculty Head | Hum Qing Ze |
| Ares Faculty Head | Toh Yi Ru, Ashleigh |
| Ares Deputy Faculty Head | Ong Kim Yao |
| Artemis Faculty Head | Ho Jin Yang |
| Artemis Deputy Faculty Head | Lim Yi Fan |
| Athena Faculty Head | Ng Wei Hao Jonathan |
| Athena Deputy Faculty Head |
Ng Shou Mian, Samuel |
| Welfare Committee (WelCo) | |
| WelCo Chairperson | Seah Sing Lynn, Sylvia |
| WelCo Secretary | Chen Zi Ying Chloe |
| WelCo Treasurer | Aloysius Oh ShengXun |
| Attache | Ong Xin Jie |
| Welfare Coordinator | Ng Qi Hao Joshua |
| Welfare Coordinator | Poh Zhen Wei Aloysius |
| Welfare Coordinator | Sabrina Lee Shi Min |
| Welfare Coordinator | Tan Jun Heng, Caleb |
| Welfare Coordinator | Toh Yu Ming Eugene |
| Welfare Coordinator | Zhang Siyuan |
| Sales Executive | Chan Chin Kiat |
| Sales Executive |
Liew Li-Linn Lynnette |
| Publicity and Publications Committee | |
| Chairperson | Chew Shan Wei |
| Secretary-Treasurer | Ng Wan Yun Deborah |
| Attache | Delia Poh Xue Qi |
| Art Director | Tan Yun Yang |
| Art Director | Lim Yan Xuan |
| Art Director | Garry Tan Jun Shen |
| IT Director | Chan Yu Siang |
| IT Director | Kannan Ramanathan |
| IT Director | Ye Yixin |
| MOCH Coordinator | Sia Bao Huei |
| MOCH Coordinator |
Wong Zhi Ying |
| Co-Curricular Activities Committee | |
| Chairperson | Chua Yi Zhe Gabriel |
| Secretary-Treasurer | Chen Lixin |
| Attache | Long Jun Da, Darrel |
| CCA PRO | Jaw Li Wen |
| CCA PRO | Thio Yun Qi, Kylee |
| Cheers IC | Loh Yin Shi, Mark |
| Dance IC | Grady Ng Shi Kai |
| Dance IC | Joey Seah Wen Xin |
| Song IC | Chung Xiao Xuan Gloria |
| Song IC | Woo Yu Xuen |
We promise that we will do our best to ensure that you have a very exciting, meaningful and fruitful year ahead!
Do keep a lookout for exciting updates!
Happy holidays (:
40th ITDs.
Welcoming the New Year!
January 1st, 2013 by IT DirectorHey Hwa Chong,
Another year has passed, and we are already an hour past the year 2013! This is the time when we bid goodbye to one year and welcome the next, a time which calls for much reflection.
Looking back, a lot has happened in the year 2012, the supposed “doomsyear” – from Obama’s successful re-election to China’s new transition of power, or even the phenomenal “Gangnam Style” viral video which has amassed more than 1 billion views on YouTube till date. While Obama tries to ease America’s economic woes and the new Chinese leaders work hard to crack down on corruption and solve many other societal problems, have you been putting in your best in this whole year?
Was 2012 a remarkable year for you? What valuable things will you take way from 2012 and what will you leave behind? There’s so much to ponder about, and like always, before the dawn of the New Year, we should all aspire to build upon our personal advancements and make resolutions for the upcoming year.
For us, the 39th Students’ Council, we have come a long way since Elections in April, picking up many important life skills and learning invaluable life lessons through the course of planning initiatives and organising events for the welfare of all Hwa Chong-ians.
Here is a quick recap of the various events that happened this year in our very own Hwa Chong. These would certainly have not been possible without the active participation of each and every one of you, and hereby, we would like to express our heartfelt gratitude.
Teachers’ Day
Mid Autumn Festival
Senior Promenade
Of course, there is still much in store – look forward to these events in the upcoming year 2013!
Open House
C1 Orientation
Chinese New Year
HCSC Elections
At the same time, do stay tuned to HCunite as we will be making some new changes to serve you better!
If you like to share your reflections on 2012 and your predictions of 2013’s happenings on HCunite, please send in your work to hwachong.chat@gmail.com, and stand a chance of being featured on the next post that we’re planning!
Cheers,
your ITDs (Suhas, Patrick, Leslie)
HCunite – Seniors’ Encouragment Video
October 27th, 2012 by IT DirectorHi seniors!
We hope you have been having a fruitful time preparing for your A levels. Previously in the Graduation Post, we have mentioned an encouragement post to motivate you in the final portion of your college journey.
Here it is: we present a video done up in collaboration with your J1 juniors in their respective CCAs*! Sit back and enjoy!
Signing off,
Your ITDs (Suhas, Patrick, Leslie)
*The CCAs featured in this video were those which indicated interest in participating.*
THANK YOU SENIORS!!
October 13th, 2012 by IT DirectorTo our dearest seniors,
Happy Graduation! On behalf of our J1 cohort, we would like to thank you for guiding us through our first year in college. We deeply appreciate all the help that you have rendered us, as we were still familiarizing ourselves with the Hwa Chong college culture.
To our CCA seniors, thank you for entrusting us with the legacy that you have created, and preparing us for the upcoming challenges that we will face as we take over the responsibility of bringing the CCA to greater heights.
To our senior Faculty Committees, thank you for putting in your utmost effort in organising fun-filled and interactive activities which made our year so memorable and unforgettable.
Last but not least, to all seniors: Thank you for supporting us throughout this one year. Thank you for being by our side, giving us valuable advice in times of need. Thank you for being such great companions and role models. Because of all of you, we juniors have certainly been able to enjoy a much smoother life. Though we cannot do much for you in return, we promise that in the upcoming year, we will strive to be equally awesome seniors for our incoming J1 batch!
As Hwa Chongians, we certainly pride ourselves on the close bonds shared between our senior and junior cohort. Sharing a CT bench between a senior and junior class requires a lot of give and take – while some get to sit on the benches, others have to compromise by sitting on the floor instead. However, there are hardly any whiny complaints; instead, we enjoy the feeling of closeness derived from this unique culture. It is certainly heartening to see both the senior and junior cohorts come together as one, sharing our happiness, our sorrow and having such a great time together, one that we will never forget.
Now, it is time for us juniors to support you, as you embark on the final portion of your JC journey – the A Levels. On our part, we will be posting a series of motivational posts to spur you on as you prepare to overcome this final hurdle. Do look out for these upcoming posts, and in addition, if you do a hard refresh (Ctrl-F5), you may notice that the banner has changed to a colorful, motivational one J
Once again, happy graduation, and all the best ahead!
Signing off,
your ITDs (Suhas, Patrick, Leslie)
Euro’12 in HC!! Post #4
June 24th, 2012 by IT DirectorHola everybody! Here are our latest updates about the Euro Cup! In yesterday’s match against France, Spain triumphed 2-0. Surprisingly, it was a relatively one-sided match with Spain dominating possession while France struggled to establish themselves in the game. Spain’s Xabi Alonso bagged a brace with a brilliant header and a well taken spot kick.
Spanish manager Vincente del Bosque reverted to his controversial 4-6-0 formation with 6 midfielders with Cesc Fabregas playing in the place of Fernando Torres. France meanwhile started with two right backs, and with Mexes suspended, Laurent Koscielny replaced him at the centre of defence.
Spain started the match brightly and established their possession of the ball in the midfield under the brilliance of Xavi and Iniesta.
In the 19th minute, Spain’s Jordi Alba crossed in from the left flank and an unmarked Xabi Alonso raced towards the ball and dived to smash the ball past the goalkeeper with a downward header.
Alonso heads the ball in
France did not recover and withered under the dominance of the Spanish who missed several good chances to score. Then in the 91th minute Xabi Alonso secured the victory with a spotkick which sent Hugo Lloris diving the wrong way after Pedro had been fouled in the box by Anthony Reveillere.
Alonso slots home the penalty
With this dominant victory in the quarter-final match, Spain sent a strong message to Portugal, whom they will face in the semi-final, that they still have that mastery of football that led them to victories in Euro’08 and the World Cup in 2010.
It has now come down to the 4th and last quarter final between England and Italy. The winner of this evenly matched contest between the Azurri and the Three Lions will face on-form Germany in the semi-finals. Moving on to the match analysis…
England
England secured top place in their group after gaining 7 points from three games .They put in good performances against France and Sweden but put in their last game against Ukraine they were unconvincing and were fortunate to have won that match 1-0. Under newly arrived manager Roy Hodgson, England has adopted a defensive 4-4-2 formation with two organised lines of defenders and the midfielders, with the forwards free to roam in front.
The heart of the England defence is led by John Terry and Joleon Lescott, with Ashley Cole and Glen Johnson at the flanks. Steven Gerrard, England’s talismanic skipper and Scott Parker are almost expected to start at the centre of the midfield having formed a solid partnership in their past three games. What is interesting would be who Hodgson would start with in the other two midfield positions. He has Alex Oxlade Chamberlain, James Milner, Theo Walcott and Ashley Young to choose from. James Milner has always been starting at the right but his performances have not been good and Hodgson may consider replacing him. In Theo Walcott he has a speedster who was a super substitute against Sweden scoring a goal and assisting another. Ashley Young is the favourite to start at the left flank as his deadly crosses can be devastating for the Italians. Alex Oxlade would most likely be a substitute later on in the game and he can inject some creativity into England’s offense.
England has a couple of attacking options in Welbeck, Rooney and Carroll. Rooney is an excellent finisher but his touch seemed to have deserted him in England’s game against Ukraine when he spurned a few good opportunities. However, it is still widely expected that Welbeck and Rooney would start for the match as they already have a strong striking partnership from playing together at Manchester United. Carroll would most likely come on as a substitute and with his powerful aerial presence, he would threaten from set pieces and crosses.
The England team:
England's squad
Players To Watch: Steven Gerrard ( Joint top assister in the competition with three assists) Wayne Rooney ( One of the best strikers’ in the world, high chance conversion rate when on form) John Terry ( England’s defensive rock, who put in a superb performance against Ukraine)
Italy
Italy finished second in their group with one win and two draws. Their last performance against Ireland where they won 2-0 was average but they could have performed better. Prandelli used a 3-5-2 formation for the first two games and a 4-4-2 formation against Ireland.
Italy’s defence is a problem with their experienced central defender Giorgio Chiellini unable to play. He would be replaced by Leonardo Bonucci who is not as powerful as Chiellini in defence. He is joined in defence by Federico Balzaretti, Ignazio Abate and Andrea Barzagli.
In the midfield, Italy have a reliable defensive midfielder in Daniele De Rossi who has been performing very well in the Euros. He has been playing the roles of both a midfielder an defender shutting out attacks effectively, putting in an exceptional performance against Spain in the group stages. Thiago Motta is also a doubt. Motta had formed a good partnership with Pirlo in the midfield and they have created many chances together. His absence would therefore have a significant impact on the supply to the forwards. Lastly, Italy have a veteran midfield maestro in Andrea Pirlo who has 1 goal and 2 assists in the competition. Andrea Pirlo is expected to be at the heart of the Italian’s attack and his distribution of the ball is likely to cause the England defence problems. Andrea Pirlo is also a set pieces expert and can score goals and create chances from freekicks.
In attack they have Mario Balotelli, Antonio Cassano and Antonio Di Natale. Antonio Cassasno is expected to start as he has been dangerous upfront making most of the chances presented to him. He scored against Ireland in his last mach. Mario Balotelli at his best can be a world class poacher scoring goals from out of nowhere but at his worst he can be a liability and burden to the Italian team. He has a short fuse and has a penchant for getting sent off from matches. Whether or not Balotelli plays would be difficult decision for the Italian coach, Prandellli, to make. Italy also have a talented striker in Di Natale. Di Natale has a lots of finesse in his striking as can be seenby his goal against Spain. However the 34 year old does not have the stamina to sustain throughout an entire match. Therefore he would most likely be on the bench.
Italy’s squad:
Italy's squad
Players to watch: Andrea Pirlo (Italy’s playmaker and top performer at the Euros), Mario Balotelli ( world class talent who can ravage England’s defence if he keeps his cool and focuses on the game), Gianluigi Buffon ( The most experienced goal keeper at the Euros)
Verdict:
England is expected to play an organised game while Italy is likely to play a more neutral game and circulate the ball around the midfield while waiting for the forwards to get into good positions.Both sides are equally matched in terms of talent, and it will be a very close fight.
Match Prediction: 1-1 draw in regulation time with the match going down to the penalties, whereby England would banish the penalty demons of their past tournaments and win Italy.
Your ITDs cum Match Predictors
Suhas, Patrick and Leslie 
39th ITDs’ 1st post!!!
June 17th, 2012 by IT DirectorHI HWA CHONG!
WE ARE YOUR NEW IT DIRECTORS! *applause* It has been some time since we took over the role of managing HCunite, and here’s our introductory post!
Just to give everyone an idea of what to expect for this upcoming year for HCunite, we would generally be carrying on with our seniors’ initiatives such as HC Around the World and The World in HC! Meanwhile, we are coming up with new ideas that are sure to have all of you excited about!
Our general direction in this upcoming term will be for HCunite to become a vibrant online platform which caters to students’ welfare, as well as a bridge for CCAs to reach out to the student body! In short, we want to make HCunite a site that everyone would want to visit daily (like Facebook and Twitter)!
Also, we will work harder to improve the website based on everyone’s comments, so please provide us with your suggestions! Simply input your ideas into the chatbox or comments box and we will look into the possibility of turning them into reality! Lastly, we will also increase our frequency of posting! So do visit this website daily and check out for new banner designs/posts/trivia!
That’s all for introduction! To end off, we understand that many of us are stressed out over the upcoming blocks. So for this final week, we will be posting up a series of JOKES and INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES to spur everyone on! So here’s the first one:
How to fail a test with dignity #1: Elephant Physics
“The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you.” – B.B. King
Signing off,
Your new ITDs – Leslie, Patrick & Suhas
HC: Draw Something~
April 16th, 2012 by IT DirectorHC: Draw Something~
Read finished all the match reports and wondering what to do next? Fret not! HC: Draw Something will occupy you for the next few minutes! HC: Draw Something is a new themed post targeted at all the talented and creative HwaChongians out there with no platform to showcase their AWESOME & BRILLIANT talents!
So you must be wondering.. Draw Something? WELL, it is the new trend all around the world, with more than 50 million downloads and 24 million daily active users! (to all J1s doing their PI Drafts, here is our source)
The trend is also RAGING on in HWACHONG!
Chemistry teacher, Mr. Sam Lee has been inspired by this application
& we WANT TO SEE YOUR CREATIVITY TOO!
After snooping around, we found Joel Tan from 11S66 with exceptional drawing skills~ GOOD JOB JOEL!
Hopefully you guys are inspired. SO, Here’s what YOU can do!
1. Submit any exceptionally brilliant or hilarious drawsomething screenshots done by yourself / your friend (No obscenities or vulgarities)
2. Participate in our drawsomething theme submissions
-This week’s theme is “Go, Fight, Win!”
- Submit a drawing showing support for the Sports CCAs that are having their National Competitions. Your drawing must include the words “Go”, “Fight” and “Win”
- The drawing can be done on any medium – drawsomething, tablet, pen and paper etc.
3. Share this post on facebook and tag all your artistic and talented friends!
All submissions can be made by emailing elias_tan1994@hotmail.com (Remember to state your name and class)
And look forward to your drawings being showcased on HCunite.com!
2011: Festival of Sports (FoS) Results!
October 12th, 2011 by IT DirectorThe annual Festival of Sports has ended and the results are out!
Congrats to all the faculties as well as all the participants! FoS was a blast!
To see individual faculty updates, check out the fac blogs!
Keeping the EYES on the prize!
HC Around the World! – Reach Cambridge Part 2
September 10th, 2011 by IT DirectorReach Cambridge: 7th-19th August 2011
Reach Cambridge is a residential summer school programme which aims to act as a mid-house between Junior College and University. The 36 Hwachong participants were spread across 9 courses, from the sciences such as Biotechnology and Chemistry and Medicine, to the arts such as English Literature and History, even including university courses such as Law and Philosophy.
For the duration of two weeks, we were exposed to Cambridge-style living. Taking residence in Trinity Hall College, we woke up to an 8’oclock breakfast in the “Harry Potter style” dining hall before going for our classes either in Trinity Hall itself or Downing College. Lunch after the morning lecture was a more adventurous affair as we had to explore Cambridge town in search of delicacies to fill our stomachs. A majority of us also had the pleasure of dining at the exquisite diner: Jamie’s Italian, with meals from recipes prepared by renowned chef Jamie Oliver. After the afternoon lecture which followed lunch, we had about another hour to roam Cambridge town, before going back to Trinity Hall for yet another “Harry Potter style” meal. Night Lectures took place thereafter, where the participants were exposed to a multitude of topics which may not have been covered in their courses, ranging from Evolution and Astronomy to Journalism and International Law. There were also compulsory night study sessions where the 36 of us were busy mugging, doing tutorials or preparing for class the next day.
Lecture time, however, was not always spent in the classroom. Many a time, participants were brought on various excursions around Cambridge town and sometimes, beyond. From museums such as the Zoology Museum and the Fitzwilliam Museum, to other destinations such as the Institute of Astronomy for night sky observing and Granchester for English tea and scones, the excursions were truly an integral part of the Reach Cambridge experience. Most courses also had an orientation tour of Cambridge during the first afternoon lecture period, where some of us went punting on the River Cam; some of us even having the opportunity to punt.
Picnic!
Over the weekend, the Hwachong team stayed within Cambridge itself, having a picnic on Saturday evening and lunch at the famous bar, The Eagle, paid for by our dearest Teacher Chaperones. The rest of the weekend was spent either shopping or exploring Cambridge Town. Some of us took it upon ourselves to visit the other colleges, such as King’s College, Trinity College and St. John’s College.
Danny and Co. performing in the Talent Show
There were also activities that were meant purely for fun and interaction. A World Fair was held on Singapore’s national day itself, where we showcased our culture in a booth and performed a national day song. The Talent Show also saw our very own, Danny and Co. perform the classic, When You Say Nothing at All by Ronan Keating. London was ours for the taking on the second Thursday of the course, where the science students visited the Science and Natural History Museum and the arts students stood shivering amidst the rain watching “Much Ado about Nothing” in the Globe Theatre. The final night ended on a high note with a farewell party at Sidney Sussex College, where we said our final goodbyes.
World Fair!
As we took our final steps out of Trinity Hall with our heavier than before luggage, I realised how in a short span of two weeks, the Reach Cambridge experience had really widened our perspectives in terms of residential college living and university courses. Reach Cambridge was truly a brilliantly eye-opening experience for all of us.
Reach Cambridge 2011
Nicholas Chuan Teck Zee
HC Around the World! – Reach Cambridge Part 1
September 3rd, 2011 by IT Director36 students.
3 teachers.
2 weeks.
REACH CAMBRIDGE SUMMER SCHOOL
Taking on a variety of courses, which ranged from Chemistry & Medicine to International History, the thirty-six of us delved head on into our courses over the span of two weeks. Our time spent in Cambridge was not for naught, as we all managed to learn valuable information about the subjects that we were interested in.
The Law course (which Kylie took) covered a range of modules, which included criminal law, international law, human rights law, and constitutional law. The law students also had the opportunity to have a moot trial, visit law courts and witness actual court cases (assault, theft… etc). This gave the law students a glimpse of what it was like to practice law in real-life, outside of what could be learnt from books and in a classroom setting. The Economics course (which Lauren took) featured both micro and macroeconomics. The Economics course employed the lecture-tutorial system, giving students the opportunity to clarify concepts learnt in smaller groups. We explored a wide range of topics, which included market failure, competition, international trade, labour economics, political economics and game theory. We also dedicated one afternoon to learning the basics of hands-on econometrics. During our day trip to London, we had the opportunity to visit the Bank of England and the HM Treasury, both of which were eye-opening experiences. All in all, the economics course proved itself to be a highly enriching one.
The Economics students with Mr. Richard Povey (our tutor) and Ms. Genevieve Tan in King’s College
Other courses also proved to be equally exciting, with Biotechnology students learning about genetics, drug resistance, oncology and pharmaceutical science, amongst other fascinating subject matters. That being said, Reach Cambridge was as much a cultural experience as well as an academic experience. We were given ample time to experience the sights and sounds of beautiful Cambridge. Many of us spent our weekends and evenings exploring the town, visiting the beautiful colleges or just simply relaxing on one of the many sprawling lawns that Cambridge offers. Some evenings, we were given the opportunity to watch ‘Macbeth’ and ‘Romeo and Juliet’ open-air in Cambridge itself, good experiences for those who went.
Biotechnology students in the lab
As part of our courses, we all had the chance to go punting on the lovely river Cam – an Oxbridge tradition and visit places of interest such as the Fitzwilliam Museum. All the courses also took a day trip to London and whilst on that trip, half of us got to watch Much Ado About Nothing at the Shakespeare Globe Theatre in London.
Leah & Jia Xi (Physics students) on a punt
At the end of the day, however, the trip would have been nothing without the great company we all enjoyed. We were blessed with great teachers-in-charge, Mr. Teo Ming Ern, Ms. Genevieve Tan and Mrs. Serene Jeffrey, who not only looked out for our welfare at all times, but were also extremely fun to be around. On one instance, the teachers even treated us to a great lunch at the Eagle’s Pub (where Francis Crick and James Watson announced the discovery of the double helix structure of DNA)! As the song goes, “we were strangers starting out on a journey, never dreaming what we had to go through”. We embarked on this journey as strangers, but came back as good friends. That was truly the highlight of our trip – to be able to interact closely and bond with our newfound friends. Indeed, Reach Cambridge was an almost-magical learning experience for the two of us, and we’re sure, for all of us that went on the trip.
Lunch at the Eagle’s Pub (Treat by the Teachers)
Reach Cambridge 2011
Kylie Tora Basuki Liu (11A15) and Lauren Fu (11S7N)
Note from the ITDs : This is a Part 1 of a Reach Cambridge Series. Part 2 will be uploaded next week featuring an article written by Nicholas Chuan. Do look out for it!
Hwa Chong PvsP 2011!
August 31st, 2011 by IT Director
Hey! It’s been a while since the Hwa Chong days, and I thought you might be interested in Past Versus Present 2011 taking place on 10th September (in the morning of MAF).
It’ll be a morning of fun, games and catching up over 8 games – Floorball, Captain’s Ball, Street Soccer, Volleyball, Basketball, Frisbee, Table Tennis & Badminton.
Visit us at pvsp2011.blogspot.com! Perfect way to catchup with everyone, so jio your friends and sign up at http://bit.ly/runOeg!
Asia-Pacific Young Leaders Summit (APYLS)
August 7th, 2011 by IT DirectorThe 5th Hwa Chong Asia-Pacific Young Leaders Summit (APYLS) was held from the 18th to the 26th of July 2011 at Hwa Chong Institution Boarding School. This year’s summit involved 76 participants from top schools across the world, including students from 12 nations as diverse as the United Kingdom, Oman, China, and Singapore. The summit aimed to gather our world’s emerging generation of youth leaders in Singapore to engage in a week of interaction and dialogue to broaden horizons and forge lasting friendships. During the summit, 21 student facilitators from Hwa Chong played host to participants, showing them around the island, planning the summit programme, and attending to the various needs of our guests.
The theme of this year’s summit was Towards Globality: Renegotiating Communities. Globality is the end stage of globalization – the state at which the entire world shares a truly connected economy, society, and culture. As our world hurtles towards globality, geographical, cultural and political barriers that once separated communities from each other have been broken down by connections that transcend traditional divides. In a series of engaging student dialogues, lectures were prepared and delivered by participants themselves, and participants engaged in roundtable discussions led by a team of committed student facilitators. Participants delved into the complex layers of the summit theme and explored the ways in which communities have tried to grapple with the onward march of globalization.
Over and beyond the student dialogues, participants had the rare opportunity to meet the changemakers of today’s society, through summit dialogues with keynote speakers like the former Deputy Editor of the Straits Times, Mr. Warren Fernandez, and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Mrs. Tan Ching Yee. In addition, students visited key organizations and ministries, like the Government Investment Corporation and the Housing and Development Board and participated in lively dialogue with senior officials. A highlight was the visit to the Istana where the President himself hosted delegates at a high tea reception.
Of course, the vibrant and active student participants enjoyed themselves greatly with multiple opportunities for recreation. On top of playing outdoor games and touring Singapore City, students had the unique experience of participating in dragon boating and kayaking at Lower Seletar Resevoir. During their free time, participants amused themselves with a myriad of activities like visits to the Night Safari, sampling our unique cuisine, and of course, shopping along Orchard Road.
True to the spirit of the summit, APYLS 2011 ended with a bang at the Closing Ceremony held at the Pines. Participants shared their respective cultures with often exciting and hilarious performances held whilst all gathered enjoyed a sumptuous dinner. It was a fitting close to ten unforgettable days where we learnt more about ourselves and shared everlasting memories with our peers across the globe.
National Day Celebrations 2011!
August 6th, 2011 by IT DirectorHwa Chong celebrates Singapore’s 46th birthday!
We have come to the time of the year where we commemorate our nation’s founding day of independence and we take pride in singing the catchy national day songs. Do look forward to the exciting and splendid array of performances by our very own Indian Dance, Malay Dance, Chinese Dance, Harmonica and the memorable sing-a-long session led by our melodious Choir.
In conjunction with the theme for this year’s celebration, The Majulah Singapore Spirit, the Students’ National Education Committee (SNEC) will be collaborating with the History and Current Affairs Society (HACAS) to present to you: our very own We are Singaporeans (WAS) game show! Do spot your teachers and friends who will be the contestants or the personalities on the show. You will be thrilled with the engaging session of activities and performances that we promise to make your National Day 2011 a memorable one.
One Day Without Shoes!
May 28th, 2011 by IT Director
It’s hard to experience life in someone else’s shoes when they don’t have shoes to wear in the first place. Far removed from the daily sufferings of people in poverty far away, we rarely if ever stop to think about what their lives are like.
This all goes to show how easy is it to neglect what we take for granted. What we don’t perceive as a problem, we assume not to be a problem. For millions worldwide though, being shoeless is a problem. A painful, callusing, blistering problem.
Poor children round the globe cannot afford basic footwear, much less fitting footwear. A team of girls from Hwa Chong has chosen to focus on this precise problem with their Service-Learning project – ‘One Day Without Shoes’.
The concept is simple. Students purchase a shirt for ten dollars, which gives them the right to walk around school shoeless for a whole day. All proceeds go to World Vision Singapore. The team will also organize a collection drive for old shoes on Shoeless Day, extending opportunities for student participation. It is a concept fronted by TOMS, a shoe company which is highly involved in work in the developing world.
The shirts have further publicity value outside of the event. When the adorable design is publicly worn, members of society would have increased awareness about the plights of those in need. This would hopefully go some way towards inspiring more work for the underprivileged in society.
Such an unorthodox manner of fundraising meant that multiple levels of red tape had to be dealt with. In a school where wearing anything less than covered shoes is punishable by demerit points, convincing the school to allow a large swathe of students to go barefoot was challenging. Thankfully, the school eventually relented, flexing the school rules in the name of charity.
In planning, the team also had to make provisions for a whole host of hypothetical concerns ranging from possible injury to special toilet cubicles marked out specially for participants. Executing the project has been less straightforward than initially thought! Solid organizational and problem-solving skills have been honed through the process, which will no doubt be valuable learning points for the team’s future.
The team has spent about three weeks canvassing for support among the school population through a host of publicity gimmicks, including an electronic message, morning announcement and a banner. The novelty and meaningful nature of the project has been recognized by Hwa Chongians, who have signed up for it enthusiastically.
Many Service-Learning projects are fundraisers disconnected from the causes they are dedicated to. People may donate and purchase charity merchandise, but there isn’t always that personal connection. The valuable opportunity we get to experience their lives by walking in their steps isn’t something usual – though it is important and altogether meaningful.
Dirty feet!
In striking a balance between helping beneficiaries and driving the message of awareness home, the team has certainly done a good job by bringing ‘One Day Without Shoes’ to Hwa Chong.