BY ELGIN CHONG AND EMMANUEL PHUA

A n im portant rite of passac•• in a yotlllg person's life is the day he or sh<' l,>r~duaws. And to

<~lebrate this milestone, RP pulll'll o ut aU the slops for its eightl1 r,radualion ceremony 011 lhe 2Slh of May. Kicking nff Llw lhn'E-'·Jay p rngrd m llll' was gw:st· of-honor Mr Tan Chuan-Ji n, Acting Minister for M.mpowcr .md Senior Min.isler of Stale, Ministry of Nationa l Dl>velopmtlnt w ho dt~livered a spPPt:h U1al d1allengcd graduates to find tl1cir purpose in life .md to do work th~l is useful to others in society.

"What determines success, as related to the eurlier<JUC~tion IllS ked a ll of us here dboul w hat redlly nta llers to you, is nol ju• t how much monl'y you make or how high 011 U1c corporate ladde r you climb. It v.~JI often rcaUy hoJJ dow11to a couple of U1inc.•. ll wiU be tht• difft•nmn• U1a t you make to U1P peoplt! around you. TI1t> way U1at you l11Mt people," said Mr Tan 111 his dosing ream• rks.

And treating people well is soo1ething medal-winner Phoebe Yew Elan Kian, 25, kuows <l thin 1~ or twn about. Tht• Diploma in C us tomer Relations & Service Management (DCRStv!) s tudent gratluatt.>t.l wiU1 a perfect 4.0 p,ratl•• point awrap,e (CPA). H•' r a im i.~ to J,.. "in U1e hospitality indust1y dellvming top4 notch service to c..-·ustome.rs".

TOP GI~A DS: Plmebe Yt1t1~ IJirngntltr:!h am/ XmJit'r Tau nu slagf.! ou daJ rmt'. "II is fmJH>Y­tautllmt we {ilul somdhin~ that moliuolt~ ttS because ll gives usn ~ool, snM P/l(l('bt.

"I t is i.mporl<mllhal we findsomeUm1g th,u motiv.lles us because it gives us a goal," ~aid Phoehe w ho was award~d the Nanyo~ne Sd10larship hy Nanyanc Tcdmological Un iversity (NTU).

Mr To~ n ol•o spoke about being n>JevanL l-lc said: "Tcdtnology may advance quickly, causil1~ what we !cam today to btKOnu) nu Ldalc;~d. HnwC!ver, Lhl~

.1bWty to solve problems wUJ not be irrelevant." And this is someUting RP dot>~ r~ally wvll an.

Xavil')' Tan Khcn Leong, a Diploma in Aerosp~ce Avionics (DAA) stutle nl

and the sole a'Cdpicnl for U1c Tay Eng Soon Gold Medal, agn.>cd wal.h Mr Tan. Ht> feels PBL helped ltiJn greatly.

"RP's Problem-Based L.canm1g (P6L) <~ pproach s uits me beet~ usc I um ~•ble to nllch up eusit:.r ilnd is irt<ilru menl.cl.l in helping me do well," said Xavier, who has a 3.92 CPA and a p lace to study Enp,int~t)ri ng HL NTU. He:. w.:as diSO il graduate (rom u,.~ lnslilule ofll•dmic.l l Edumlion (ITE).

A tOt<~ l o f -1,060 1:ruduat<·~ from 35 d.ifferent Diploma progrilllmu~s grddtwled th.is ye<~.r. R

CEC launches Media Lab BY OSWALD GERARD AND MYSARA AUARU

I l is a size of a classroom tucked away on Lhc third floor of El and most passersby would newr

guess that inside Lhis smaU room, a team of dedicated shtdcnl reporters hd ve been hard dl work. This room is railed tht• Mt~dia Lab and tht• nrarly 50 shadcnts from Lhc Diploma in Mass Comuumic11tion (DMC) are responsible fnr this publication (the reva mpt!d Republican Post) and lhe soon-to-be launched republ.icanpost.sg

The lab forms part of the CLLrr iculum for DMC - to vvc s tu dents .a liiSte of wh11l il is lik~! to run both " news.rotttn .tnd .J public n>Jatioos (PR) ag~ncy w ith long meetings M1d crazy dc~dllncs. Din.><:lor for Lh~ Cl'nlre for Ent~rpriw 1111 d CommtUlin ation (CEC), Mr \o\4arren Wang, was part of the ltMm of slll(f w ho c,1u1c up with the idea of the Mcdi~ Llab.

Ht~ said the main n>ason for U1~ Media Lab Is to expose U1c stttdcnts to m ore

rea l-life projctlS. "lt i~ n platform for studrnts to work un inJ us try proj<'C~~ und<lr two tracl<s, one for j otm1ali~m and the other for PR and Marketing COniiJ1Unicntions:," lw aJUv..d.

Media Lab activities cover aspects frou1 eclitori,tl to clesign and PR ~<nnpaign planniJlC. From story meetillp,~ tn interviews .md photo-shoots to hramting. f~d litawrs g~tide stu d~nt~ t•v('ry ~ll'p of tlw w.Jy. Mr W.lllJ~ explained that pxojects wUJ cover media industry practices ll1.1t inl~grdtC p n nt.. o nline, broodeast a nd social media.

"So while the stu dents produce m~tcria l for Lhe Republ.ic.an Post, whkh we h~ve had all ah1np, w hal i.q new is U1at it will lic· fn with the web version and social n1.ediu as well. News w ill bt•coa11e more integnated this w11y,'' said Mr Wang.

Students i.nvol vcd in the t1cwsrooa11 do not just work wilh projc><.ts in school. TilUs far, U1ey ha VP worked with exltmMI dienL-; j ncluding National Heritage Boaid, the B.<rdays-Habllat

for Humanity Bam YourSofc .. Pvc)nl, imd tlw Publir Servict> DivL~iun (PSD). "Our studenL~ worked with PSD to come up with a video for Public SeNicc Week,'' sa id Mr Wa ng. nit was cornplimenlt'd by the Prime Minister and we arc very proud of them."

To enrourar,•' the largt!r RP family to be p.u1 of the newsroom, head of the Mecb<t Llab, Senior Acdd~!mk St11ff Mr David Chin SdiJ studc•nts from nLht-'r schools ,uc welcom e.

"We h.lve a rew SludenlS from oLhe.r diplomas joiltiJ1g the Lltb ~nd we welcome non-CEC students to joil1 th.c ~!clitorial !uHl PR teams,'' said Mr 01 i11.

Bu t il is not a job for the faint-hearted. Chi~!( E..litor, Muham m<td Z ai l,mi (Z.tek), u third year DMC student suit!: "It Wcl4i nPrvP~wn.~kjne Lo know the an10LU\l of work this job enta ils, but it's clefmitely exdbnt: lo know lh11t U1e Mt>dia Lab is J',Oinp, in Lh~ l'ir,ht d.ire<·Lion. It cives us a ta~te of what worklng Ufc is Ukc in the 1\'.al world."R

Singapore Idol winner and The Final 1 judge Taufi" Batlsah speaks to the Republican Post about his musical success, teaming experiences and what It's like on the other side of the judging panel.

BY LEE JOON LEI

None of us had interviewed a celebrity l>efore ruHl so the tension in the mom was pal·

p~ble as the team wailed for Taufik Balisah, Singapore's most popular Singapore lt.fol alumni. 20 minulf1S l.lter U1an our scheduled Ume, he sud­denly appears, with his munager and a Mediacorp staff in tow. Wcdring a hi1~ s mi iP, a simple gn>y t-shirt and jeans, he greets everyone warm ly.

A• Zark, our editor introduced him· sP.If, TilUJik noti<"es hi.~ skater shoes a.nd says: "You skate too? I like you a l.nwdyt"

( CONnNUED ON PAGE 7)

POST NEWS Editor's Note

L<ftto Right: Znki, Noor & Luqmmr

lejl to RrgiJI: llnudlra, Dorr t.Wr, Attre, }oorru~, Slrt•rmtlll C•}oo11 Lei

2 TilE REI'UIJLICAN POST

Since term ended in Fcbmary this yea.~ a group of us luwe been busy working out of a smaU roomii>-E4.1Lhas becomesomelhiltg o( a second ]tome to us-Juccting several limes a week to brainstorm story ideas, work o ut schedules and update our facilitators on our progress. There

were many sacrifices- dates had to be ca ncelled, travel plan .. ~ changed and there were lots of tired days and nights. The wondcrfu Iteam is pictured below.

But looking at this issue of Republican Post, the first revamped edition, makes it all worthwhile. What you have in your haJtds is not just our hard work but a slic~ of history. We hope that Lhi~ team of talented student reporters, -photographers and designers, can produce a paper that will be the nltmber one source of news for every student 01 RP.

We hope to report things that matter to you, in and out of school. We cover a wide range of topics because we know you arc interested in loads of things - we've got news features (orientation hignlights), interviews (ateck out our fea·ture on a trio of musician~), sports (did you 1d1ow thel<P'" Women's Soccer team rocks?), fashion, food and mol'e. The hit~hlight of this i.<;_~ue is our interview with Fillall judge Taufik Batisah. It was a thrill to meet hiJ\1!

Wl' ~re io tl;le process of g~tting our online site l'P and nmnlr11g aod you wj)l be abl~ to ge.t updates on news and views. Uul none of this would work if we don't have your support- r-ead o ur stuff and teU us what you thillk. If you want to contribute or have an interestillg story to tell, drop us a lille, we willb<o mor~ than happy to talk to you. We hope you enjc>y relic ling these stories. Your s tories.

Till the next issue,

Muhammad Zailani Bin Ismail

Q)~ 1ceJM 'EcJJ.b.n Emmwrrwl

V:fl to Rigltt: Sul111il, Nrllt~>lm, Ht~iqal. Ytmto & Oswttltl

Left

Q)es~,.. to Riglrt; lvmr, 7.Pr1KI. Aslriqm &

}11/itll/11

f>/1(1/c>S by Jffnft Y~~;minl\btlullnh

Staff Advisors: David Orin Crispina RoberL Sllallida Ariff Clrmr Yen rhrg Emilia ftlris

POST NEWS

7-pointer picks RP and wins big BY MUHAMMAD ZAILAINI BIN ISMAIL

W ith .tn '(Y level <~~J~,>regatc score of just seven, Pir.tgalhcsh s/ oSu bmmanian, 20, could have S<!ic'UI\'d a pla<V in n top junior w ller,•• with

ColSl' bul his dtoice to enrol in the Biomcdic.tl Sdenet' course in Republic Polylcdutic was a big s urprise to everyone ,lrollnd hiJll, especially his ptHents.

"J did my research about Problem Based lea rning (PBL) dnd bet~ltne convinced that this was lhe rou t~ for Ill<~:· s.Jid Pira as h11 is c.JLIPd among his friend~. Nalu rally, hP hod to ronvin<'P hi~ p.u-enL~ .tbout his unconventional dtoice.

Thankfully for him, Utcy were supportive. " I always tell Pir.tgathesh lhal if he were to do someUting, il has to be o ut of passion. Choose sou>cthin~ that you ('a n be passionnt.t> about, somethint~ that you love to do. Only Utcn can you d o somellting outstandingly well," sdid his fitlher, Suhramanian s/o S..ddsiV<mt, 51, an oirt'·rafl Pllflil1t~c.r.

Lasl Tuesday Pira's choice pa id off hrutdsome ly; he WdS hit:hlighted by g uesl o f honour 11nd Acting Manpower Minister Mr T,m Otuan J in in his speech and went on s tage to coUccllhe lo p award - Ute Board of Governor's Aw.ord for the Most Ou tsta ndi11g Gradual~ of 2013. His po1~nlS watdwd w ith pride as he r-eceived thunde rous .tpplause.

l.uoking huck em his frl'Shman y~ar;. Pird S•lYS hr• dove'' nehl in, erttinJ: invnlvcd in cxtra-rurrlrulararlivitlot; lo ma ke sure Utal he expanded his !nlcrcslS ~nd skills." Acadeu>ics is only on!! pt>rl bul <f you w<> nl sucn•ss fi'Om a holistic poiltt of view, Utrre al't' va.rious components much like Republic Polytechnic's code

BY VALERIE LUA

Thousands donned their gowns and graduated with family and friends cheering them on. A select few were medal winners. We caught up with one such graduate.

When Xavier llm Khcn l..con g was called up fM dn illtl'rview for Llu• Tuy Eny,Socm Gnld Medal o1ward, given lo top poly technic

gradunlcs who com~ through the lr1.~Utute of iedmin ol Ed ttc:,•lion (ITE) route, he w;os s ure he would not be shorllisted, mudt l•~s wilt Lilt' awurd.

Medal winners usu .. JJy have an im pressive lisl of leadership po•ilions dnu 11 slew of Co-Curncu lar Arlivilies (CCA) lo show for. Bul Xavi•>r's J'I"Sulll~ was paiJ\fully emp ty. As he explained to lhc panel hefnn~ him~ hi• hc:u..l iJ good n•.ason: ht' ne('tli)d to work lo s uppOit himself and he lp oul wilh Ute family's expi'JI.'KlS.

"tvfy mum was raising thn'(' t hildnmnlone,lnU that f was old enough lo take care of nty own expenses. But that meant 1 <;ouldn't handle havmg tmy lhing more th11n work <tnd s l1ody," stud Uw 22-yea r-olu who grad uul<'d with u Diploma in Al'mspan• Avionics ea.m lng a 3.\12 grade point average. He has secured !< p lan• ul the Ntmya ng Tet hnologkv l Univen.ity (NTU) to study c ngutccrutr,.

From lhc lime he came lo RP, Xavier had a fairly puni~hinp, routjuv,: Right ufLPr ~chool, hi' lwad(•d lo North point Shopping Centre's g.mtc ill·r~dc, Timezonc lo slarl his shift al5.30pm, endinlJ lhc day ~I J0.30pm. On w eekends lw pulled a fuU shift a.nd hud ~ single duy off- eith<>r a Satu rday or a Sunday.

"I hud lo ma.ke SliLTifkes. 1 s lepl less ru>d definite ly coul dn' t go out with my fri••nds. Bull h.>d no .-hoice. I nw.ded Lit~ mon•~Y for my meal•, lrdnsport, doliii'S, everything," said the old est or throe <'hildron. He has " orother, 14 and sister. 12 dnd Lheir ruunt is u sales l~Xt"'t"ulive in o jewt"~lh'!ry compc1ny.

Seeing the Light Xavier's 1ourney m lift~ h&~ not been ~~ s rnooth one.

of conduct. &oy<mu gradt•s a p<' rson is m<'asun•<l by who he is a nd whal he represents," he said.

ht add ition lo l11s heavy currtculuut w orkload he fou nu ti nw 1<1 bv P~sid~ntt>f tlw Student Cvu neil ,~n u Vke-f>residenl of vocal group Rhapsody- activities heo s<•ys l!nabled hi m to make ma ny 111\'tlllingful friend,ships ,md le.trn a IQt about lea,te~hip.

His involvement was duly recognised, when he l'l"<:eived the Outstanding All Rotmdc rSlu dentAw,u'(l (OARS) by tlll' NorthwPsl CDC at the notiona l level

in 2011. Having gradttatcd wilh a diploma in merit <tnd his ach1cvcnHmL~ and awards i.n low, Ptra hop(!S to conLinue purstting h.is d(eam. to sludy medidnC" ~ nd he .J d octor.

He h,os applied to Yong Luo Lm'sSrhovJ o f Medicine, NUS. Although moviJtg o n to '''~w .Jnd inten~tinp, advcntun~o;, h~ IMV('<; with fond memories of R'P.

Said PiriJ: " I chos.• RP a nd I have neve r n•p,reued it one bil. It h,ts been a good home lo me, .>lwilys have a nd a lways will." R

MOMENT OF GLORY: Xtmi<r l'l!<eiviug t/~e Tn.Y £ug Soou Go/if Med<>l from Mr Tau Clwnu-fiu, Actfug Mbd~lfr' for MnupoW<'I' mul ~eulor Mluister of.Stnte, Miulstry of Nnllo11nlt )!'tJd"'mreut. 1'110'/'0; VA 1.1'1<111 I UA

Th i••!:sstar l.<ld goin1: d ownhill w hPn his pa n•ntssplil up w he n he was abou t 13. The lumull of his home bfoc, Ute sad n<>.ss of being "left ou I" led him to slip up in school.

" I managed to gel lnlo Chung Chrng High but 1 s l<ll'ted failing btodly in set·ondury2as l slarted to play trw tUll.n He pc.1sscd his O~l~vels wilh an D}~grencH~ oJ 28 aJid lhut was when il duwnPd on him Lhal lt<' wn.~ s tuck. Wiln o nly a llu.rsin g course in poly on offer, he df!cid(!d lo dt) tmginet.)ring in lhP ITE. Whil~ Llwn~, Xovier conlinu(~d lo struggle. Al U1e end of his fiJ'Sl year, he managed a Ull!asly 1..1 GPA. However, lw fomtd a rcasoll to pull up his socks in his second yt>ar.

''I met someone who m otivated and coadted me, Sl> lswtletl putting in e(fort, rutd seeinJ: Ute resnll o>.1de me feel good . 1 climbed up to a C PA of3.4, and 11'<-eiv,~d .t Gond Progl'(!ss award," hP said, declining to reveal more about l"hc girl who helped him. r hcy cvcttl1tally pa rted ways.

Bul onCl' hn ~larlnd doing wnU, UtP.rc wa.~ no turning b"ck. "One of the positive trails about me Is Uta t I a m very detenll ined.. And w hen I started lo 5{'1! resu ltb,

1 felt good and wunll"d Lo k(-"t~p having this feeling or achievrun<mt."

Find ing Meaning i.n RP Xavier admiL• that AemspacP Avionks was not hi~ flt-sl dto!cc but he lcamllo love what he was enrolled in. "I told myself to try to fit in bt'l~•use lhis tiute 1 was linltUy giv~n a d ta nce to go to polyted>nic," he s.tys.

The highlight for him was lo land ,m inlemship wiUt Ruc.:kwt,~ll Q,JJins, un Avionks <'olllpany, whcl1! ht' did so well Lltcy extended his stint.

Just as he passes anotlter milestone in h is life, Xavier alrcady has p lans for h is future. " In futun• I would like to t,tkc some leadership courses a nd hone u>y otan~J.\eOiettl skills, tmtl hopefully 1 c<1 n leoad a tca.ol/'

11te bright young man sees some dark clouds on his horizon. 1-1 e worrlt'S abou t pa yiJtg for his uniVersity r.~es bul ht~lw~·~n now and lhe n, is working hard to squim' l Jway mon''Y· Bul he l~ ~urr Utal h(' ra n overcome t he odds. After ,ttl, he has been doing il most t>f his life. R

THE REPU1lLICAN POST 3

POST PHOTO

Farewell class of 2013!

8£ST OF f ti£ 8£ST: Special atmrd wimrcrs receiving 1/rcir rcc091lliti<)n l'irngnthcsh s/o Subrnmnnian, XatJier Tan, Alexander Cilia, Claudia

WllAT MATTCRS MOST TO YOU? An and t/rouglrt­pro(}()king spt'e('h gi'ven brt lite gui'St-()f/ronour, Mr Tan Onmn-Jin, Acting Minislt'f fot Manp<li(ICI and $cnior Minisler"![Stal~;, Minislllf 0f Nalional DevelofJtnt'rtl got rnnny tltlrtking aboul wlllll s11ccess mt•anllo Jhem. PHOTO: G£NC.I£Vl:. 'IW

-1 THE REPUBLICAN POST

GOING FOR GOLD: Tan Hong Boon Nhholus'is aGold Metlai'{I!IVJrde<'oftlttC,-ntrcfor Enterprise and Cormmmicatron for the Diplo11111m Commwucationand /!]formation Design. Standing JICXIIo him isAmmrdaGoh, Mmmging Oire.;(orofCilelmmt. PHOTO: ILl NAOHIRAH MANSOR

I

A WW SO SWECT: P11rents of Piragallteslt s/o Stt/1ramanian were invited on stage as lte ren•hms his amurd far "Outstanding All Rounder Shtdrnl Awurd". Pirugutlm;ls kissrs Isis mollwr in grutifudt•. Hr grad11uled from Diploma in BiomeJic:u/ Sdrnct'> 1t>illt lvferil. He wtls also lite f>rcstdent of RP's 9tlt Student Council nnd Vicc-prcsidenl for l<lutpsOtty - I~P's A·Cltppl'lla intm'!'t group. PHOTO: G~NE.IE.VE TEO

nt4r'S WHAT fRffNDS ARE l OR: Kok Zium Xin from the School o{Teclmology for the Arts said: "finally 1/u·lmrdrrtts off and it's rctliiJ .~rca/to gradttalc from Rf>!'' In IItts ptclttrr /u• posas willtlris b.Jsl fricmls wlro lravtl, bet~rllu'Ttfor him all along. PHOTO:JL17'#ADHIRAH MANSOR

POST PHOTO

( 'J ,,·~ ~ .• l . .,_,

AMAZING RENDITION: Fnith Ng from Rcplttg IG -one of RP's best bands- entertaining life audience with her btYlttlifttluoire. PHOTO: fL/ NADHJRAH MANSOR

POST NEWS .__ __ _ Poly Foundation Programme kicks off in RP BY LEE JOON LEI

l h•l Par Yi Yun woulc.l h,w~ fa< ~d thP 1rt)Spt)('t of CJnnthPr dtlu nli ng ypar dh.,ad ns ho prcpiU-ed for Lhe O'lcvcl exautiJ1~Lion

com pcti11g with a large pool of secondary school s tudents vyint~ for p laces in th~ local polytedmics. But this yr.m~ lhc N' lcvcltopscorer from Assumption English School is s tTCss-fn.'C dlld sitting pretty, ha ving ~amed 11 provi~iona l phoce in Republic Polytechnic (RP) U1ank.~ to tht> nt>w Poly PoundJLion Prog.rammP (PFP).

"I entered the prot~r,lln as it gives us the opportu nil y of t)Pllinr, into our drPam cou !l;e.~ fust~r. It also removes U1cstresses of having to take the 0' levels," the 17-year-old BiomediClll Sciences student said.

The PFP is a onc-y~ar programme thal is offered to Secondary four Normal (Academic) students who ""' in the lop 10?:, ur th~ir w hort. In lit>u of the conventional O'levcl route, students go through a found<Otion ye11r in U1e pulytet hnks, t,oking lteneral modules Sul'h dS EngHsh, Mf.llhemnllcs and Physil..(ll Ed um lion, as wt~ll as rourse-specifk modules U1at will better prepare them for polytechnic education.

Passing JJJ foundation year modu les wowd eJm U1em 11 pluce in their respective courses. The prot.rramme is offered at aJJ loral polytechnics and •ims to giv1! NormiJI (Atddt.>mit') stuc.l~nL' mvrP options i11thcir post-se\ondaJ)' education.

"This program is a11 initiative by the Ministry of Ed ucation (MOE) to prnvido• mu l tipl~ pathways fur N'levcl s tudents. l11ere iU-e mwtiplc paU1ways for U1c PSLE and O'level students, so why not for the N'level students?" ask~'d Dr Soh l11i>ln Pin!} DPputy

Di'll)(tOr for Ri?public Polyterhnics foundation progr.lUlDlC. The uniqueness of Lhe PFP ste01s from its pmctke t1r,irnled .-urriruJum, whid1, U.ke RP's vt>ry own Problem-Based ~arnlng (PBL), fot·uses on cng,,ging students through various different means.

"TI1r• k•arning principles ufthe PFP'.st-u rriruJu m dnd PBL arc the same, the difference Ucs i11 its method of deUvery. For example, in Lh~ PFP, we huve tottivities

such as fiPid trips, l~b session~ ond int~rurtivt> lcctun's; they are all learner centric but do not have,, 'one problldl11 d day' dpprmorh. We mny use Vdrious meU10dologies, hut they Jn' aU based on tht> san11! lcamlng principles."

Rddlel is o•11y too excited to be part of this pioneer batt.·h. 111 an1 lnoking forward Lo \-vorking in groups, teaming new thil1gs and making friends a long the wuy,~~ shesdjd wilh a smile. R

RP welcomtes new freshmen As we bid farewell to graduating students, we welcome a new batch to fill our ever-growing family. They face an exciting year ahead and what better way to start than with the Freshmen Orientation Camp. SARIYANTO SLAMAT rAiltnl1~c

R~puhlit.: Polytet hnk (RP) offiddlly OJWII\'U its doors in 2lXJ2, and back then it was a small il1-stitullon wiU1 a big dream. lO years on, RP has

.::thown Lhat" braY\! new ~~~anting system cutd a Cdn­Jo spirit is all ittakt'!S to n><J iis•• those hig dw,oms.

With 38 l'OUrses offt•~d, RP is slowly y,rowin{\ in $ln'nBU1. "WiU1 th~ inrn>asinB numbt>r of studPnL~, we have a bieeer lillt>nt pool U1a11 hefon>. There l~ cc•talnly more CJ•crgy now wJlltiJ1 the ranks - not only the freshmen but a lso Lhe stud~nt letoders, lhe staff and t' vt>ryone involved," t>xplai11ed Mr Joshua Y~o, Acade01ic Staff of Centre for Enterprise <md ConUJ1Unication (CEC) dnli Lt.!ad Focilitator for CEC Orienl:toLion Camp.

From early April, U1c dJffcrcnt schools in RP <:tln­dta:ted l11eir indjvidmo.l camps before tb~ offidal poly-wide Orientdtlun Prog.ramnw which wert' l1t-•lt) from April 12th to l6th.Thc RcpubliCJJ1 Post c<~uglll

6 THE REPUBLICAN POST

up wilh two schools who ·work«!d hurd to welcmlll' U~t~ir new iJ1t.1ke in the fau1ily - the Sd1ool of Ap­plied Soc nee (SAS) <111d the Centre for Enterprise and Comumnic.olio11 (CEC) .

Nervous Faces, Awkward Pauses

A'i wide-t>yt>J frP.~IHnrn inrhtld U1dr wJy from U1e long rorridor of the One Stop Centre (OSC) into lhe Allor~ Halls, little did they know they were not the only OJWS makmg u b.nmd new sb1rt.

F1>r some student leaders like Rachcl Chua, a second year student of Diplom.o in Mass Couunu niC<Il ion, b«!ing involved clS a ll)atler wus tJ brc.~nd new t!Xpt'ri­ena- too.

"I mn genel"'<tl.ly 11 shy und q uiet person. Assu ming tlw lt•ad~rship roiP mr•ant that I had to st~p out of my comfo1t zone and take Lhe il1iliative- lcadil1g lhc

f.reshmcn <os well as make sure lhey were h,wing a fun lime," said the petite 18-year-old. But studentleadt~rs are esst>ntial in making sure Lhe fn.>shman get their questions answered. N1,ruycn Q tLang Matthew u Diplonuo '" Biot<>chnology ~tu­dt>nl t>xplaint>d how prepamlions started as •~Miy as Decem her.

11TIU-' C01111111iUt~ hilS bCtJn p~parin~~ (or th~ lil lll p since December. Facilitators would estimate th<> qmtntity of food and drinks needed for th~ entire SAS camp. Medks certifled with a standard firs t did roursco t't•rliricaLP w~TP also prest•nll() C'nsun• Llw safely ,md care of the fr<>.sltmen who am under our respun~ibility dunng the penod of th~e two doy~," said tht> 20-yt>ar-old .

Breaking the Ice

CECs ver.;ion of Lhe popula.r Koreun gamt' show "RwutiJ1g Man" was ll1e first of the Une up of won­derful yet <"arefu.U y crafted series of ganws. designed not only bond llw foT•Shmen bu t al~o ~vokinB com­mwliCJLion between the slill-nwkw,lrd freshmen. Ac; the frcshr.nen r<tced arottnd the campus finding du~'S tJnd I!XCCUI.ing hilarious t:hulk•ngus, Olll! couJU Sl-'C the ice slowly melliJ11', away and tilt' fn>shmt•n bt•gan tn op(~n up to each oU1cr.

Nt>xt up was U1e individual diploma lime. Six houl's wc.rc set ,,side for the freshmen to Cil1d out about their diplomas and what was expected of them. To 1-111d LhP pr\lgrummc, l.hP slu tlents pt>rfonnoJ in 11 Fivt, Minutes of l'au1e''.We Jlne~rlhed a beat boxer, good dant"ers, smgcrs a11d a11 accomplished musiCian -CEC had quit(• " fl'w ldlt•nh•c.l individua ls!

Rosanna Kuck J freshmru1 cnroUed in U1c Diploma in Sodal Ent<.>rprisc Mam•gement said: "The camp was BElTER th,ln o>xpt.•cted l lnitially I Jidn't w•nttu come, I'SJ1<'!CiJLly silK<.> it Lc; an overnight 'amp. But now, I look forward to sleep overs with my new friends and getlo know each other even better." R

The other side of local star Taufik (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1) 11w atmosphere lightened immed iately as ' lilufik broke U1c ice with friendly banter about skateboMding great Rodney MuJlen and how mucl1 he loves skating. Chatty with a boyish charm, it is o>asy to s~ why he has clil'·hard f.ms. In an ind ustry full of nceung successes, ·1~1ufik l),Hisah has remained relevant to fans, the bulk of whom were pre-teens when he won Singapore Idol in 2004. The 31-year­o ld ha~ topped local music cl1a rts for weeks and has .a Twitter following of over 56,000 'Flknatics'. Now a judge on Thl' Final I, he reAects on the fulfilml'nt he gets U=ugh being a mentor to U1e contcsl.lnls.

" It's been an eye opener for me. lo wtderst;md how other aspiring artists U1iltk and feel, to be in the position that I was before. It h;L~ been very fulfilling for me, to be able to help and mentor them ... " says ' lilufik who grad u,ltcd from Singapore Polytechnic with a .Maril1e Engineeri11g Dip loma.

l n a wide-ranging interview, Taufik spoke about his music, winding down afto.>r a long day and advice to s tudents thinking of droppiJ1g sd1ool to pursue their i11terests. To which he said: "If you ca n afford to go to school, you better put your mind into it and really SlTivt> ami do wt:.IJ l'Jt)rausP a.~ clichP a~ lt sounds, you need someUti11g to f,ill back on. i\t,ldemics are .import,mt, and so is your passion so you've got to create that balance for yourself."

PHOTO: FARHAJI/ Sl'AH

Nearly 45 minutes in to his dldt with us, ltis man ager indicates it is Hme to go - Taufik is head ing for •·ehearsals and a live show that night. But he is happy tot,.,ke a few more questions and to pose for pictures with the team. He leaves just as he comes - with a wide smile and a gemtine appreciation for the work he does ,uul for people lw mee ts. Quite the idol we think. R

0 11th tlw full i11 ft'r'llit'lu 011 11itl1'(1 fur Rep TV (lw siugs l c>O!) nml you Cll/1 walc/1 t/1~ Pinal 1 wlticil airs 011 Cilmmcl 5, cuery W~t1uf!Sdayat 8pm. l'ou am nlsc get iu 011 tile action mul 1101<' for good si11gers.

Dance at Momentum touches hearts BY DURGA ELAMARAN

The annual dance festival at RP, Momentum was back for its sixth outing this year. We check out the two-day festival in mid-May at The Republic Cultural Centre (TRCC).

This year, RP's signature dance fesllv,J I, Momentum kept its promise to vow audiences with the lll'<~uty uf da •Ke. Bu t more than tiMI,

U1c organisers behind it ;llso added a social clement - a group of students from the Down Syndrome Association (DSA) took part as well_ wamlli1g tl1e !warts of rnany who camP to watch tlwm. P/101'0: ~~~All l 'ASMIN AfiOl/U.A/1

1111~ Maya DancP. 1l11'atre worked hand in hand with the DSA to create a special dance item. 11te children from DSA were equally cood and watdtin& them dance so well and he.~ring them voice out their d re~ms moved m~ny emot"iona11y.

··1 wanted to send a s imple message to everyone in the show th,\t we ,Ill have dreams and goals and it is iutportant to have the courage to reach it even if it takes a sma ll step," said MoiMnuned Hafeez Bin ll.tssan, ,, 29-year-old performer and instructor who was also one of the main moreographers for tltis dance item.

Mohammed Ha(eez a lso added that working with DSA cl1ildren WdS indeed a refn..shing experiem-e for Jilin. " I have learned a lot from U1e1n bL>cause they arc a bw1eh o( big hearted people." /\side from that highlight, the performance put up by U1e Malav Cultural Group (MCG) Dharma Tarian was a

s tand<lut of the festival. Mr Fa thurrahman Bin Said, 48, t he instr uctor for MCC T.ui,tn said lhe dt.tllenge for fuis year was how to mix tradition with modernity, something Ute dancers took seriously.

"Tradition doesn' t make Utings rigid in U1c midst of modernisation. In fact, it supports some of the most import,tnt ,tspl'cts of the modern life, like hMmony and passion.

"Through tltis dance piece, we're highlightiltg the p rogression of trdclitionnl e lements of danl't' into U1e modem tradition,tl." said Ahmad l>ahri bin Ab Rahun, 20, a student Jrom U1e Scltool of Applied Science and a dancer with MCG Tarian.

One of the dancers, Siti RaU1at'li1 6inte Mohammad Nassiv 19,aSchoolofSportsand Leisure Management student said all Ute hard work paid off: "We were so thrilled to be p<~rt of this important festival!" R

POST NEWS

SEnLING DOWN SOON? BY LEE JOON LEI

It took the Republican Post team nearly a month to get the Interview with Taufik.. When we finally sat down with the star, he was happy to give us nearly 4S minutes of his time. Here are some of his answers to our questions.

Republican l'ost (lU'): Where do you find the time to unwind and relax?

1~1UiiJ.. IJatis,l h (Til): I sk,llel>OMd a lot when I c,m, I wou ld like to sk<lte a lot but nowadavs when I f,111 it rPd lly hurts, il':-. l'lly dgt•. Ru t l lovP ~ktah .. hottnlinB, I luvt> it su mm h. I also hang out w ilh my lrit>nlls, with 1ny mum. my J,lntily, I just find som<' lim\'' to 1\'allv lose nw inhillitions ilnd he who 1 am. I think tiML's d l'f'c:tlly lmporlclJlL thing, to llc:\ldnCt,. yours..,U out.

RP: So do you really let r.ourself go when you hang out with your friends?

rB: Yt:'clh! I'm Stl('h an tcliot when I' m with fri~nds. the-y ignort" nw mnst ot tlw limP. But p!ith it erounds Ill&, it hunlb)t;,:-o lllt'. ) t..hinJ... t)l.:l t it is i1npor· tant d!ld !thoroughly enjoy thdt. I <~lso enjoy l'<'ing at home. lt hmk that once ml' doo•· is closed it's li ke m v :-otlJt» hti\'t>n. I <'till dn "';1M lever I wttnt tt1uJ no 01;., i~ llww to juc.lgt> nw.

~P: Anv advice for young. aspiring smgers?'

TB: Don't thinJ.. ,,bout the fam(' or ,1l>out how much mon~v· you ilftl' going to m<Jke, lxtct1us<.> that's go­Lne to !..ill you il it dO\:.sn't turn out Lhe- Wil) )OU

thought it to be. Also. work on you r craft: let your frit"ntls IL..;1t•11 Itt it, I ttl..~ •·unslrm tlvt> c ritkism . Ozu t'

you IM Vt' t11l tiMI in lint>, find oppnrhanjlit!S IOJ"'N'r· 1o1m. In school or ,11 g igs, cvcn iJ they d on' t P•'Y· You l'<lln ,tfso put up , ·ideos on YouTube, share it t)Jl your Ft~<t>houl.. cllld IWt"'t"l tLhout it, e•>l Llldl huz/. going.

RP: What is your biggest fear?

rB: I WdS going to Sd)' cockroaches hut I'm ~Mst that ,tlreatlv! \ •fy biggest fear is prolMhly not being <~hie to prnvi(lt• tor mv mum; lhttJ l t"ttr is ttlwo:tys fhl•rP.

RP: Do you plan on sell ling down?

m: OJ course!

RP: Do you have a gi rl friend now?

I B: Right now. th.1t's not ''" importdnt qu<'Stion. hut I will definitelr sellle d own, 1 think that' ' the ndturaJ p rogressioi1 of a humdn being.

RP: Where do you see yomself in 10 years?

I'H: I St"P myM·II lwiug dh!-tolult•ly tnlllt"nlt->d dml l~<~ppy with wl1.1t I h,wc. I will hop<'tully see my kids nmning around; I'd still l"' doing music. hoi'Plully still '"'riline l'>Oill~s for other musi' idn~ dnd helping them a.:hicvc StKCess, in whatc,•er Wd}' I Cdn.

TilE REI'Ul>LJCAN I'OSI'7

Stringing to a different tune BY DURGA ELAMARAN AND JUUANA BINTE JOHARI

MAKING M USI CTOGI:TH £ 11: llm11r af /he I ortsl stnriPII out 111 2007 nud smo·llu•u 1111'1) IJfllN' "l'l""lri'd 111 1111111/'rnou< TV silnu•s for tllrir perfonunures. PHOTO: fl AMf Of 1 Hf fOI!F.ST

That these young men are ta lented musicians is interesting but what mak('S lllem ft'lsdnoting L~ that Govin Ta11, Krsna Tru1 and Dextc1· Tan

all p lay classical Indian instruments. The trio are members of Flame of the Furest (FOTF) which they started in 2007. Covin plays the tabla, Krsna, U1e s itar and Dexter plays the violin. Govin, 21 and Krsna, 24 <U"e brothers while Dexter is their cousin. Govin and Dexter were Republic P<>lytt.>chnic students who graduated wi th a Uiploma ill Sonic Arts. The trio has performed in front of VIPs like the Prime Minister and has won several awards for thejr music.

Republican Post sat down with the bors to ask them about their music and the brothers sa it their dad was a huge factor in thcir success. Mr Tru1 Thiam Tcck, 55, said he happened to listen to someone playing the sitar on the radio one morning. "That day I decided that I was going to learn the sitar and more about indian music from the experts," said Mr'J'an. He soon got his young sons to start practising. Something they remember as being tough as yow1g boys itching to play regular games and sports like other kids.

While o ther kids got to enjoy thcir free time after school, Covin aod KT'!<na had to p ractise every day wit hou t fail. Krsna said " J ha ted ~itar ond Covill hated tabla We were forced by ow· parents to pick up these instruments. Every night our father comes back from work and ask~ us to play the song. School, home. lunch, practice, dil1ner, practice, homework. Tha t was our routine every day!"

They only really started playing video grunes like LJOTA when they entered RP. "So it was very tough in the beginning but as we got better, we began to really enjoy making music," s.c"'id Govin.

When Mr Tan realized that the boys could play their im.li vidual insrruments well he sugr~ested to them to come together as one to create their own music and that is how Flame of the forest stnrtcd. "Krsna and I were already playing since young and when my dad realized that Dexter waq p laying the violin, he told us to give a shot. It created an opportw'lity for us to share our knowlcdg~ in different genres of music which is Indian and Western.

The first song that we p layed together was journey by Biddu Orchestra. lt was a simple yet beau tifu l piece. When we lea rned that we were able to gel <'>ur >1\Lisit t<'>jlt!tl\t!r, wt! d~ided to start tht! band," said Covin.

8 THE REI>UBLlCAN FOST

Forn Left to Right= Dc:.rtt•r Tflu, Gm•iu Ttin n~tel Krsmr Tun. Plwto Crrxlit: Flilul(• if flw Forc:st Having performed at several shows, the boys haw memorable experiences. One of the most unforge ttable was when Krsna and Dexter fell asleep while p laying. Krsna said "There was once we had back to back pe rformances. One night, 1 told Dexter "We've been doing too much work, the o 11ly tilne we are free is a t night. Let's go out and have fun." 1 he next nll'ming, after we p layed, ,;orne of the audience came up to us and said. "Oh I feel your music, it was so good. Li tUe did they know U1a1 we fell asleep on stage whi.le playing our instruments!"

One of their biggest shows was their performance for Ulc ASEAN summit in India. They had the honour of performing for Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. This performance for PM Lee in India was their first and they were exdted and nervous as they were representing Singapore.

FOTF have big plans ahead of Utem. "We plan tog(> for more record ings, create more songs, write lyrics and give lessons and hopefully do at least one or two concerts every year. We are planning to go with the fl<lw/' said Krsna. R

Finding fame with manhunt

Tall, handsome and boasting a wall toned physique this 1st runner up winner for Manhunt 2012 definitely stands out when he goes anywhere in Republic Polytechnic.

Muhamma<l Faiz Bin Arinn (better known as Fai1.), is " 24-year-ulu 'ipotL<. and Leisure Management stu,lent but i11 <llidition to hi; j•)b

as student, he is also a model and acto1.lf you go by the Abercrombie & f"itch store, you may see Faiz - he was picked for hi~ physi4u~. H~ talks about this experience and his life since he joined Manhunt.

Why did you JOin manhunt and how was fhl' cxperlence7

1 he reason why I joined Manhunt was to challenge myself on how far I can go ln this competition. rhe ~xpenence was totally mt'morable. SIX month$ of back tn bad< <?vents and photu taking WdS really tirillfl but it was worUlwhile. &sides coming in runner up for the event, I g~t away with th~ most precious thing -friendship

Describe a typical day in your life i!(!er thl' ~oatpetitiun

To my surprise, pt'<>ple on the street recognize me as a mimhunt contestant ratht'r than an A&F model! But 1 was signed by Bean1 Artiste & Cal Carries modelLing agency. &> fdr I did » roupl~ of dramas anu magaY.ine shots and cuncntly I'm taking part in a Malay pageant competition a~ weli.

\o\That were <.orne intere~ting encounters you've had?

A strange thing that happ~ns i.<, wh~n I work at A&F where some women will slide their phone number in my b<1ck pocket. 1 think the wor~t woult! lx• those who have details on my home address, alm0st like U1ey aw stalking me. Oh yes, l ' m still single.

Being a ~tudcnt in RI', how do yuu juggle your time with all the fame that vou\•c rcceh cd so lar?

Wt•ll, [ personally think that fame come., with a price; you have little time for yourself. I' m always busy with work, workouts, family; etc I have bad da'ys e5pecially when l am tired and that wiU t<'>tally affect my mood. When I'm stressed, my face l~ ah...ays <>n default moody modc. llence, when 1 don' t smilcornollce you it doesn't mt>an I'm arrogant

Do you ha' ~any .. d, ic~ f uc students in RP who are kern to join such competition but don ' t ha,·e th.e confidence to do so?

I started off shy but I told my~elf that! t:an' t be hiding in a shell forever. So 1 decided il 1 ccaUy wanted to be in this industry. J have to be confident. Most importantly. ah··~~ believe"' yourself that you can do this. R

The art behind the cut SANTOSHKUMAR finds out the story behind an unusual barber In the Woodlands area.

Started by the father-son duo of Mr Bulusubrdmanj(llJl, 65, and Mr Rengan, 38, RomPo H.tir Studio has l>e~Jl m llt>d thc1 fashion

hub of U1e north for hairstyle design for the p<~sl three years by teenagers who patronise the plat'l. But they don' t just provide the usual trim mint~ S<?rvi<;es. Romeo Hair Studio is known for cmaling molifs on seal ps tha t seem to be aJJ the rage.

" I ha w bee,n coming hr.re for Li1l' past two years to gel haircuts and sometimes try the designs lh~t arc avaiJabll! h\•ro" S<titl Dilip; J9, .t Diploma in N!!w Metlia s tudent of Rc~public PolyleriH1il .

Instead of a usual shaver, the duo came up with the idea of slicinp, hair Llw tratlition.tl way, with a small s ha1·p blade, to neate the conu·ow-lookalike hairdo or popular tribal motifs.

S.1lis fi r•d <'USium~rs c dn b.> :;ec•n ~xitinp, tho• shop aft1•r the ir stylish haircut while new customers stream u1 to haw 11 go ut Lhcsl' sig11utun• hair dl'sip,n:, offered by Romc>o Hair Studio.

Mr Rcngan explain~d that he s tarted the h.tir s tudio in 2()()9, just about the lillle when his father was lookin1~ for work but couhl not find any bl'cause or his age. I' or 10 years now, Mr Rengan has made ll " point to sh~ve unique patll.'ms on his heddto be oulsldnd in g.

" My il1tcrest in hair desien made me think or openinc a Hair s tudio with my father and we decided to go for it. I had my fathnr's full support .Jnd personal

Managing morning madness BY NO MEISI AND REVATHI

Republic Polytechnic students tell us how they deal with the morning rush hour at Woodlands MRT station on their way to school.

StutlenlS, working <tdults 11nd children .tU Wdit il.J'IXiously for lh~ir lnlin lOtll'rive.Someil~n(raid or being late for school or work, while oLiwr.;

worry ~bout squcczingintolhc train. The train arrives 11nd itluoks Uke it's ~t lro!tdy leemmg will1 conun uters

A J!'ANCY CUT: A customer gctslw; llmr ~•,lesrgnL'tl" by Mr Reugnn, tire crentRI't! IN1r'lx:r.

molivalion when wl? Op()n('d Ronu.)o Hoir Sludio," s.Ud Mr Rengan.

Th~ sLurlinp. of Ronwo huir StuUio in 2009 was nut smol)[.h Sailing ror Mr ~vnp,an wlm raco.>J ricrtl! competition from anothri barber shop in the .u..-a which has been a round longer. In order to boostthl! salon's businc>Ss, he~ had t11 think of new idea~ and that was when he came up with the idea of designing pa tterns on the hair ra ther L11an U1c basic lines that most shops offer.

The new designs avullabJe ln Romeo Hair Studio h,t~l ~11<1 rked interest in m.my p!!ople around the ure11 of Woodlands 1md customers s ta rted t1• stom1 in to th<' shop within the• nc1Xt ft~W months and today ClLStomers come from different pMlS or Singapore to get spcciaUy crafted designs from styi.L~lS al Ll1t~ Romeo Hair Studio. WiU1 just onP spec-iali~•~d

hairstylist at the beginning , th~ studio now has a proud eroup of profe~-sionals in th1~ different aspc<::l~ of designs such as name writing, trlbd l designs, ahstnlfl art tJm.lnulny mort"~.

Uttfortw1ately, L11e building lease where Romeo Hai r Studio is ( urrontly situul~d is up and will bl' dc>molished in 2016.

However, Mr l~engan J"easstm!s that he is definitely opening a11olhcr brand ' in the nearby are<L a long with his S-l'COnd brdnch lcx>HQd opposite Republic Polytechnic.

"Ronwo Hair Studio is not tny W(lrk ulone, thl' support rrom my rather, the skill~ of LhP hairstyUsL~ and <'t'rtailnly, JlJ U1e customers that h~Jped with word-of-mouth recommendation i.ncreased our publicity and Lhe ht~ight we l1aw read1ed." R

on board. As soon as the doors Olll'l1, alit~hli ne JOSTLING FOf< SPA C£: '11ce Wootllnuds MTfl ·"""" ll=y lrnffic tfurwg term lime. conunutC'.r:<; rush out whil<' others rush in.

111i!. is a typical Sf'l.'nf'.tt.tny MRT during the morning rush hour as the nt'IV term be&(ns at most polytcclmics everywhere, causing n.csh hour lo gel more mlense L11,u1 ever. RP Students often h.1Ve to deal with Li1e massivl--' l'Onp,•)slinn t.lurinp, Llw melnlil~f~ rush hour as they board the North South line to Woodlands in order to reach l'am pus.

RP is the only polytechnic in the NorL11 zone of Si11gaporc, with an average school population of 1.,1,500 students and whil~ not a ll lake the lrdin, ~ big numlwr do.

Siti Muliana, 20, Year 2 s tudent, exprussed her fw.o;trutions during lhe rush hon.r. " Morning rush

hour can be irritating because iJ there are too many pt~oplc wcJitinp, nedr Lht? entrance, and the tmin is alre;tdy packt'd, I will have to wait for anoL11cr one." Commuters wailing ror t1'ains orten tmss up lo two lrcllns il'l order to even ht><lrd the Lrdi n d uring the morning pc>ak hours.

ln cu.ldition to dt.ad lint~ w ilh lhl.l mornjng n•sh hours, rommuters also havl' to dc>al wilh inronsideratc> cont mutl'fs who do not eiv<' way to alighting passengers and even resort to shoving others u1 order to get intothcHrain. Praveen Ra vin, 17, Yeilr2student rPcounted on how she had to dc~al with inconsidc~rate commuters, "Somelintcs J let U1cm cutin, other linws I nudge them out of the w,ty and squccw through tl1em to p,et into Lhe tnt in."

Even though the North-South line has been experiencing train disruption recently, it is one of Ll1e oldest MRT lines iJ1 Singapore. The line has been opera ting since 1987 and has been in need of regular muinlCJla n<c d1ecks in order to m<!cllhe n~t:c.ls of th!.! t>wr grmvinJ~ j_)c)pulalion nfSineapore.

Most ~tuthmts cheered lh~ recent news of llw new Tho mson line having a m~w MRT station situatC'd right bc'hind R<~public Polyt<~lmic·.

Bu t w1tilthat is nwdy, the sicnplestsolulion is to wake up earlier. Kwone 0Mng Wei, 19 Year 2 studt~nt said: "I will try to leave early like around 7am to make sure 1 have enou gh leeway to nol be l,ttc for school." R

THE REPUBLICAN POST9

Break time, time to eat! RP has three food courts, three cafes and Subway restaurant- more than enough for the entire student and staff population. We asked 50 students which ate their favourite stalls and here are their top picks. BY EZZATY HAMID AND NURFARAHHIN JUMALI

llus stall "'•'5 voted as the musl pnpular Nds-i Pddr.mg in RP. With more Lhun 10 di~hes f-or you to r hoosc from, your ~vcryday m edl will not be th~ ~ame. Dishes s uch a~ Samhal Gorcng and Beef Rcndang o.rc the favourites among the s tude nts. Tlw Nasi Pandun sel is also a m usL try ilish ~t this s tall. This s tall docs not on.ly sorw d••lidous fnod but it is "lso" ffordahk You CML exp~~ct Lo get .t meal that consists of 1 ~wal dnd I vegetabl1• a t only s:~.oo.

"I love the dishes here 11s it: is delicious ami the price is quite affordable. My fiiVOIIrite d1sh here WOIIfd definitely be tlteir Nasi Padan set witlt extm chi lit" - Nur Erin Liew, Year 3, Sd1ool of flospit11lity.

Art Biles ® TRCC LS known for th1•ir quick S(>rvi((• anu y~t ell the same limtl maintninine good quality of food.

Althoueh Lh~.re art' h>-;s than 10 dishes In tl1clr menu, you arc allowed to add/change your s idt• tlish acwnling Lo your own pn•fcrcncc.

Each mP<L I will h<.~ s~rwd with <l drink uF y11u r 1 hok•• hut wv wou.ld !X'commend thelr k ed milk led th<Lt LS milky and SWePt enouch for tePJ\ taste buds! 1l1c set meals range from $3.80 to 5!.50.

" I come here often because of tltegoodfood and 11/so tlte service. My favourite ·is tile Pastil Tomat·o Cltick~n." -Nttr At/knit Baz ilalt, Year 3, School Of Applied Science.

The s tall has a wide r<tngc c.lislw~ with prit ~s starting from $2 onwarus . The soup is always served warm and Lh~ ingredi~nLS are abundant. DishPS such as tom yam or seafood fish soup would be perf crt during the rainy days.

It is not only delidous bul it is also healthy. 5o if you are on u diut and luukin~: for hl'a lthy food, this 't"ll i' for you!

"/ eat here twice 11 week because it is seldom t/1111 a stall sells dry D1111 Mi1111 and gives chicken portions th11t are wortlt tile money."· Evelyu Teo, Ye11r 3, Sc/iool of Engiueeriug.

Ln the corner of Artbites, you l'd n ~X[H,)Cl lO St!l? d variN y of snacks. Th•~ holl••sl itPm l~ de finitely the 3-for-Sl samosas that most stude nts buy Lo m u.nch on durin& lrssons.

The crun1blc of the Oaky p0~11ah skin and curry powto is definite ly " d e licjous combination for a snack. Tlwy also h,1 Vt.! sna\ ks !)uch as 0 1k ken C lu>I'SI' Ball, nuggt•LS a11d s~J,dwiches that range from Sl to $2.50.

" I re111ly love tlte yummy drum lets, cheesy meat balls and clrocol11te Dan ish. It is a /so ven; convenient to eat 0 11 t.lle go." - Nadiall Osman, Year Two, School

tecfmologtj for the Arts

Is the Blackberry back? BY JOSHUA KWOK

BlackBerry, once a major player ln the smartphonc ma rkt•t, has fount! iLSelf slowly fatlinv, into the hcwk}~rou nU Ovt"r tlw yvars. Howevt't; in a hid to rclnvent ltsclf, Lhe company has rcleased its newest utltUtion, The BlackBe rry Z10 whk h is the first to feo~Luro U1e BlackBerry 10 OS (opl'ratine system), wl\fch replaces the outdated BlackBerry OS.

Along with th~ ne w OS, BI<Lr kBerry has chos.m lo break L11eir tradition and opt•~d to go w il11 a more ronvcnlional smartphonc design. You will insLru1lly nnlicv th~ siPPk dnd lnutll"nl de!'lign, \1\rfth well· rounded pt.Jgvs.

B!A CKBI:RRY'S N£\1\f O~£RJNC: Critics lm!Jt!gim•n tltc m.""hl 'J f {) mi.tt!i.l ,,~;c:w~.

You will never look al waffles lhP SdmC" wt~y «t;din after try ine out Llw waJOPs at Lawn. ll1c unique factor ~bout this wafnt• is llML they d o not uSP orlifkial co lou ri.nc . lnstcad U1cy usc pand,,n leaves and blend it with the oLher inp,redil!lllS to treate the perfect batter. The stall has more than 10 fillings s uch as cornnakl'S witll <:onJt•nseu milk, mapl~ syrup with buU••r or bo1nana and o1 w hole host of savoury t;elcrtions, like hom o~nJ rheese. Prirc•s ro~ncc from S1.2U to $2.20.

"I ubsolllte ly fove tlte maple SLfrttp witlt butter

Lai.t.m. lt's like when craving {or pancakes,

I cntt subslifute U)ll!fle for it." - Nur Hnfiralt, Year 3, School of Engineeriug.

At 130mm Utll, 65.6mm wtdc and 9mm Lluck, iL is s lig htly bigf:cr than an rPhone 5, but still w!'ll wiUti.L1 the normal r~ nge forsmartphones. Ironically, BlackBerry, who has been known for having the most buttons on tl1eir smartp hones, now h<Ls l11W of Lh~ lt'il.~l.

With" HD resolul(un o( 1280 x 768, thl' ZlO boasts on~ of tlw d~dn'\St and 'harpest displiiyS in th1> smrutphm1e marke t. This is groat for watdling videos on the phone, t-spetjalJy for those who have Lo commute long dis tances to and from s.-hool, or who often find themselves wailing a lot.

but the m merd u m be dcress~d tlireclly from tl1e lcx·k screen.

The BlackBerry 10 OS however, is slill far behind its mon• establislwd Cllmp•ltitors, tht•IOS nnu AnJroiu, when it com es to lit~ number of apps available for download . Wlu1e BlackBerry App World boasts 100,000 .1pps compatible w ith BlackBerry 10, tlw Apple App Stom for Lhe lOS uml Gooelc Play for Android, house over I!(KJ,O(X) apps each. So do not be surpris~d when you discover mru1y uf your favourite's apps miss in!), includlngiJl.~tar,ram.

thl' Hu b "~th u fing~r moti on. This ullows you lu st~amli'Ssly transit brtwet>n multiph~ conversations or mess~gcs, allowing users a lt!vcl of conncctivJLy few smartJ)ho~ws .:an provide.

The came rd function of the Blat·kllerry Z'LO comes in the fon11 of an 8 mPcapiXI!I ro.tr r<1 mero1 o1nd a 2 mega pixel front came ra, prcll y much what you would exp~~ct fTom " snMrtphon~ in 2013, it's p,ood but nothinj\ to boasl 1•boul.

1l1e OlOSL intcrcsling feature of the camera would be Timeshift;" fe1<tu re which caphm.>s t;everdl shuts at onn•, dt!ll't"l' all UH• fan•s and L111•n let.• you choose whir hevPr (aCl' you U1ink look.~ best amone U10SP shots. The phone a lso lacks a physica l camera button,

10 THE REPUBLLCAN POST

O n e U1inp, Bll<ckllerry hussl11tk with how1•ver is their focus on corporol'e usage. With Llw n~w OS comes Blac.kBe rry Hub, an app which aclS as a t-enln> for all you.r nol:i(jcdlions, be ll e-ma il, text messages, <111d updates from social networks or even yotlr ClllenthLr.

The huh ca n bf• acn>sscd anytime when using lht~ phone by "pcc.klng", a f11nction U1a1 brings up

Jessica Dolcoun .1 reviewer (rom CNET. o1 11 American tech media websll!' tha t publishes reviews, ~~ivcs Lh~ BlackBerry /. IO a 3.5 ratin g out of 5.

Atcordin g lo the re viewer, peo ple will love BI,KkB•' rry 10 for iL~ bir,e•'J"-piclurP int•'rfacl', keybo.u·d, a nd business and security features. How~ver, users might face difficu ltil!s gettin g usl.'d to t h e new OS stKh 11s o pl.'ning !'ve ry app from the mu.lti taskinc page.

In u nutshell: It is a gmat phone but for studt•nls who dPIJt'nd Oil LhPir phones for entertainment, Ull' may not he U1e ht>st bet. R

A race like no other

PROBLEM SOLVlNG: St1if{ working toiJ!•Liu·r to S<!IU<• u /'IIZZ.ft'

Avontuur De Republic was held In RepubliC Polytechnic for the first RARING TO CO: Getting 1•1rtic if<lllts to Mirlllllflllntl rcml,v to SO l~<fort: tl•· 1ulw11t11rt: race begins. PHOTOS: MUHAMMAD time since 2009 and it proved to be ,.-t·t_A..;;IQ~A-t _nt_N_~_A_nt __________________________ _

widely popular. BY MUHAMMAD HAIQAL AND MOHAMMED SUHAIL

With previous editions of Avontuur De Repub­lic held off-campus, Republic Polytechnic's (RP) signature sport~ event came home this

year. 1J1troduccd in 200S, Avontuur Ue RcpubiJc is a multi-disciplinary tl'am advenhne race organised by the polyteclt11ic. Running, biku1g, sports climbing, ab­sclll.ng, paddling and navigatiJ1g over a distance of 15 to 30km .ue part and parcel of the race.

Open to all Secondary, ITE, PolyiL-chnic and JC s tu­dents along with Alwmu members, Avontuur De Re­public has grown steadily in number of pa rticipants over the years since its inauguration.

Republic Poly technic's Principal Mr Yeo Li Pheow was very proud of the way the race has evolved. "Tn terms of numbers, it has definitely gone up. '!11is year we have 87 teams compared to 36 teams when we first started out. Hopefully next time when weorgan­c«e the~, it will be bigger," he said at the event held on May 18.

Mr Yeo felt that hosru1g this race within ami around the campus would offt!r grt!at~r visibility. "When we had it in Pulau Ubin previously, certain aspects o f safety was a concem. By having it inRP, we have that safety part well covered bt.>cause it's in the SinBapo­rean mainland itself. Of course it a lso means more students can get involved," added Mr Yeo.

For Lhe participants, it wasn't just ,tbout getting to the finishing line first. Some felt they leamt impor­tant lessons. "l think what we learnt the most from thi~ race was teamwork anti tolerann•. At evf:l'ry sta· lion, it is all about trusting ead1 oU1er' s decisions and views," said An Yi Wei, a Secondary 4 studellt. Along with Ta n Pc and narryl Thng, the Maris Stella High School trio won the Youth Boy's category.

Most participants may not have won anything but U1ey were happy to be at the race and were happy to fil\ish. ·rrevor Anthony Jagahlath was among them.

"Wt! trftined a lot. The past week w<ts our preliminary examinations, so we tr ied our best to prioriLi.se our ti.me, train as much as we could and get the best fin­ish possible," &tid the Se<:ondary Four s tudent from Christ Church S..>cond<~ry School.

Avontuur means ' Adventure' u\ Dutch, and Mr Yeo is happy that the name maa1aged to garner attention.

"We arc veay happy Uta I U1e name somehow a tlmct­ed attention as opposed to just caUing it an adventure n1ce," said Mr Yi:!o who hnpes this ~vent lvill lx..:acome a national icon in U1c comu1g years. " By calling It such, r think we can attract more attention and hope­fully this becomes a natural footpru1t and more and more sch()ols get involved.11 R

THE REI'UIJLICi\N POST 11

Playing a wo(man)'s game Republic Polytechnic's Women's Soccer team has not only beaten stereotypes, they have also beat· en the odds to win at major games.

W hen you think of soccer, the first im~ge that comes to mind is d bunch of boys g.uJ1ering to support their team, d iscussing

offside rules and goal strategies. ln RP however, it is a specia l grou p of ~~ir is who 11re ddept nl SCC>ring all the go,lls. RP's Women's Soccer tea m has more than shown their mettle on the pitch. Last year, they were crowned champions in the annual POL-ITE (an •nnual c'(lln p<>tition for polytt•('hn irs and TTEs), thP first time in this !G' s history.

One of the team members is Nathasha Lope:~:, 19, ,, second yeM IJiploma in Communica tion dnd Information Design student. She remembers the day the team won. "l don't know how to explain the feel ing ... ali i renwmber was running in the middle of the field celebr,uing. Some of the seniors were even crying - because they finaJJy won somcU1ing befol'l' they graduate ... It was very emotional."

From hwnble begimtings Republir Polytet·hn ic Women's Soccer Tt>.1m, ,dso known .1s RPWST, stMied out when the school was first establ ished In 2002. However, due to a lack of players, th<> team disbanded in 2005 and two years on, in 2007, the te,1m was rev ived and st.uted ou t with nine players.

In a sport l.trgely dominat<•d lly mn iPS, it is not surprising that U1is team is largely made up of players who just started kicking a baU only when tht>y joinPd tho> tPacn.

" I was actually from Malay Vane~! I wanted to try sports ... but ultimately it was soccer because my ddd is a pl.1yer, t:oach .1nd wferee", explained team manager Nur Sarmlra Filzah, 18, a year two student from Diploma in Indust rial and Operations Management.

For team captain Mustlka Natasha, 19, a third year stude nt of OiplonM in Sports Ex!'rc:ise Scien<·e, soccer waS mOre Of C1 blessing in d iSgUise. 11

\ 1Vl1en f WtlS in year one, I actually went for netiMII tryouts. It d idn't work out for me. Then a friend suggests trying soccer. At first, w<> stMI<'d playing at the street SO<'(t•r c·ou rt (b~skell/illl cou rt in RP) Lht>n gradu<1 lly move onto

the field. J am actually glad J d idn' t get into netball, l>e<ause if not, l wou ldn't h,w<> l'l'a li>;<>d my passion (or soccer!"

A tight-knit family II .is clc.u when watching them, U1c te.u11's strength lies in their tight-knit circle where no one is better th,m nnol h~r.

"On the tield, we never condemn each other, even if somrone makes a mistake that cost us the match. We always push t>ad1 othPr to hP better," sa id vice­captain, Nur Era Fazira, 18, a third year stud~nt in Diploma in Sports and Exercise Sciences.

Tlw tight bond wds dJ>p.u-ent during thP interv iew. There was easy banter ,1mong the girls and it is clear they know each other \•ery well. Of the many outings and ciMiets orr,anized for the purpose of team bonding, one trip in particular stands ou t.

"Our pre-sedSon trip to l<u<tl<t Lumpur wt~s one to reJmember. Before this, we only have friend lies. When we st,lrted losing consecutively, and girls being

June - . tl-~ ' .

~ .. '., \ i ,f_ 21June?OUOpm~ lk.((

~· ~ . ..

emotional creatures, the d lsappointment in ou r faces was obvious and we sta rted to qul'stion ou r abilitil's dnd ourselves. But our pre-season trip to KLchanged all that. We went against better teams like Slngapol'l' American School. It really motJvales us (that we can •q•M re off against hetwr opptmt>nls). So thnt trip was my best memory of play ing for RP," noted Mustika, with a smile.

For now, the girls <~re busy pl'l'paring to defend tlwir title. They are tr.lining hard but they wish for one thing: more support. These girls have been playing their home m.nches in d near-empty s1.1d ium. "Although only a few spectators turned up - which was quite reason,\blc considering women's soccer does not .tltract a lot of attention like our male counterparts- but the feeling of win ning it at home added to the sweetness of the victory. I hope we get more supportli'rs thi.s time around," she sa id.

Join the g irls ,,s they keep you updated with pl'l'parations for thelr upcoming matches httv:/ I tea111"' pu bl ic-wsoccer.blogspot.r'oonf R REPORTING BY: NATASHA HAOI CHUA

RP Events

Glitz 2013 - Sports Excellence Awards Ceremony

The Republic Run

Non-RP Events

A night to celebrate and I'I'Cognise the achievements of Team Republic Athletes. The Sports Excellence Awards honour the efforts ,md commitment of outst,1nd ing Republic Polytechnic sportsmen and

Basketball, NBA Stars like LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and many more will be on show for what sc>L~ up to be a te nse finals of 2013.

~RUGBY WORLD CUP SEVENS 2013

Rugby 7s, Rugby World Cup Sevens As the dehut of ll1e Rugby 7s .11 the 2016 Olympic Games, draws ncur, it will be a showcase of world's to1J 24 men's and 16 women's h?<•ms/ as tht.:'y compete.

An ,mnual evPnt joint ly organiSPd by Nam J long Welfal'l' Service Society am! Republic Polytechnic since 2009, it ~ims to r~ise funds ((Jr Na m Hong Welfare Service Society and Republic Polytechnic's Needy Student Fu nd.

Tennis, Wilmbledon Is Team Gl'l'at Britain J'l'ad)' to re-join the Davis Cup ~lite? Wan·h as the> dranh1 unfolds at Wimbeldon 2013.

Cricket, The Ashes After winning the Ashes in 2009 and l'l'taining lhem in the 20 10/ lt s~ries in Austra ilia, Lhis year's blockbuster in England, promises to be great.