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Cultural Carnival 2010

The Spaceman

Says “Everybody

Look Down” It’s

All In Your Mind!

BY SCOTT NATHANIEL LIM

Special Edition: April 2010

An Ethereal Experience

in The North

Journey to The Mystical

Island of Tioman

Bradian’s Personal

View on Senior Council

Tucked In, Plugged Out

MUN: SJII’s Little

Hopes of Nations

2 One Voice | A Student Publication of SJI International

Welcome to the second term of SJII!

We hope everyone had a refreshing

Easter break to prepare us for the many

challenges that lay ahead in this year.

For some, this year marks a distinct

new change in their lives; our new senior

council nominees for one, are eagerly

preparing to step up and take their place

as our current senior council steps down

to make the way for our eager young

nominees.

Notes from The Editor

The senior council has contributed

largely to the school in almost every as-

pect, and their efforts can be seen

through the course of the previous year;

from rendezvous to fireside chats and

even movie night; these ever working

but yet unacknowledged students con-

tinue to make school life all the better

with all their contributions. We wish this

year's senior council good luck, and all

the best!

OneVoice Team

Chief Editor

Rebecca Ou

Yvette Tan

Co-Editor

David Lee

Vincent Tanutama

Reporters

Alphonsina Chikwashi

Petrus Bosa Layarda

Yeoh Jiayi

Rishi Ray

Daniel Lim

Paul Samuelle

Ivor Tan

Scott Lim

Patrick Ren

Joshua Wong

Minying Wong

Victoria Goh

Jade Rasif

Kathryn Stevenson

Emilie Cunnington

Alexandra Kris

3 Special Edition: April 2010

Content

Headline

Cultural Carnival CC22032010

THE SPACEMAN

SAYS “EVERYBODY

LOOK DOWN” IT’S

ALL IN YOUR

MIND! 4

UK Literary Journey

An Ethereal Experience in

The North

IB Biology Field Trip

Journey to The Mystical Is-

land of Tioman

Interview

Get to Know Your Teacher:

Ms. Bull

Bradian’s Personal View on

Senior Council

MUN: SJII’s Hopes of Na-

tions

Acoustic Night

Tucked In, Plugged Out

6

8

11

12

13

Sports

SJII vs AIS

Track and Field Meet

Run Run Run!

Regarding Special Days

Reviews

Percy Jackson and The

Ligthning Thief

Persepolis

Service Column

World War Z

God Article

16

18

20

21

23

24

23

25

26

27

HEADLINE: Cultural Carnival CC22032010

The Spaceman Says “Everybody Look Down” It’s All In Your Mind! BY SCOTT NATHANIEL LIM

Burst into action on the night of 22nd

March- the performances made a big im-

pact to us. We were merely witnesses and

passersby, mesmerised and awed like the

extraterrestrial encounters at Roswell.

The theme was literally “Out of This

World!”- The sequel to our school’s previ-

ous cultural night, Around the World. I

admit that, even though I did not attend

last year’s performance, and have no previ-

ous productions to base this year’s one on,

the standard of the show was high. Meet-

ing expectations is a difficult task, in terms

of old fashion school bred richness and

gratification; we’ve beaten James Cam-

eron’s ‘Avatar’.

Most of the portrayals that night had

their own adaptations of the modern

theme. Each showing their contemporary

uniqueness, giving us, dollar for dollar,

value for money entertainment. The per-

formances ranged from elegant Chinese

fan dancing to the hardcore floor pounding

Break-Boying (B-Boying).

The most impressive thing I noticed

was the co-ordination of the production.

From the director, to the lighting and

sound men, to the stage crew, each individ-

ual was well aware and synchronised to

the very millisecond. The props were also

commendable as it would have taken a lot

of effort to make and put up; over 700

stars, a few dozen kites to decorate the

grounds and the overhanging make shift

night sky in the main-hall. The atmosphere

was simplistically, Outer Space. It sure

fooled me.

Overall, all the performances were good

and each made a beneficial contribution to

our school, and without the zealous ser-

vices provided by the emcees, stage crew

and administration team, we wouldn’t

have been able to enjoy this auspicious

evening. May we see more of your talents

unfold over the following coming months.

Personal Note

Before I end off, I’d like to comment on the

level of commitment shown by the spot-

light man. His vigilance gave me an epiph-

any – If he could stand on that table for

over an hour, constantly working his mus-

cles, rotating the sentry-like spotlight,

while marking down on paper he masked

on the wall the scenes he had covered,

maybe I could endure a few Internal As-

sessments (IAs) or more. Hey Spaceman

up there, maybe it is all just in our minds.

Scott’s top five favourite performances of

the night: (in no particular order)

New Bollywood, “You’re Everything” by

Somya Thakka, The Thai meets K-Pop

group, The Traditional Indonesian Ensem-

ble, Korean B-boy street group


UK Literary Journey

An Ethereal Experience in The North BY PAUL SAMUELLE

Another first for SJII, as the youngest

Lasallian school embarked on its first trip

to merry old England. Months and months

of planning, cooperation and effort put it

by the Remarkable Rebecca Crème, the

ever Loquacious Laura Hammond (who

still involves herself deeply with the

schools’ affairs), Witty Wendy Ng along

with the fearless black belt (in Wadoryu

Karate), Master Michelle Jones, who used

her wisdom of science to concoct many of

her personal remedies such as hot Ribena


and undisclosed dosages of lemsip for

students falling sick on the trip. A special

mention is also needed for the Asian De-

tours Company who made this all possible:

Mr Colin Koh, who was in charge of direct-

ing the activities along with his father,

Daniel Koh, accompanied them on the trip.

It was surely an experience never to be

forgotten.

The fortunate 29 students who went on

the trip had the opportunity to visit Som-

erset, the home of famous romantic poet,


Samuel Taylor Coleridge; Stratford-Upon-

Avon, the birth and death place of William

Shakespeare along with the rest of his di-

rect lineage and also probably the best

place to experience the art of theatre, sec-

ond only to London;the breathtaking Lake

District, another famous poet, William

Wordsworth's childhood home; the his-

toric university town of Cambridge; and of

course the piece de resistance, the capital

city London, where we marvelled at sites

such as the tower of London, Buckingham

palace, St Paul’s Cathedral, the new globe

theatre in memory of Shakespeare, the

office of soon to be ex-prime minister, Mr

Gordon Brown, and even got to follow the

trail of infamous multiple homicidal killer,

Jack the Ripper! The students got to watch

a West End production (39steps) and were

one of the lucky few to have had

the privilege of watching Romeo

and Juliet at an old theatre that

will be closing down in the com-

ing years, at Stratford-Upon-

Avon.

Going to the Lake District in

Cumbria would have been a

sight for sore eyes for those that

were in class of HRe or more

familiarly, HMa, as, you guessed

it, Mrs Helen Rees was there to

join the team for one whole day

to warm, brighten and even

blush the face of a particularly

bashful newspaper writer/

student of hers!

The students gradually pro-

gressed each day; learning and

adapting to the English lifestyle

of eating ice cream in the cold,

sipping tea along with crumpets,

learning to appreciate M&S

(Marks & Spencer), eat a full

English breakfast every morning

or at least try, and dare I say it,

even learning to use a few Eng-

lish phrases on their own!

The accommodation, admittedly, was

not the most luxurious or comparable to

what these students have had in Singa-

pore, however, they were truly unique:

living in youth hostels next to sheep farms

and even a Victorian-fashioned mansion

with bed and breakfast.

No one was really the same as the stu-

dents arrived at London Heathrow Airport

on the afternoon they had to depart; more

than a week had past and they had grown

fond of the food, the wind and the weather

(yes, the weather!) of England. Even their

bus driver would be sorely missed and

embraced like a celebrity as they said their

farewells and made their way back to real-

ity from an ethereal experience in the

North.

8

IB Biology Field Trip

Journey to The Mystical Island of Tioman BY IVOR TAN AND PATRICK REN

Tioman is an island off the Eastern

coast of Johor Bahru, which few would

expect the wonders that island, half the

size of Singapore, could possibly have on

it. From coral reefs to untouched rainfor-

ests and even to a mangrove, Tioman

truly is a model of an area semi pre-

served from the grasp of human expan-

sion and modernisation.

Legend has it that a mystical dragon

princess who was flying to meet her

prince in Singapore was so mesmerized

by the surrounding charm of the South

China Sea, that she chose to reside and

give good luck, shelter and refreshment

to passing seafarers by turning herself

into the mystical island of Tioman.

As absurd as this legend may sound,

many of the participants to this expedi-

tion were enchanted by the beauty of the

island, and blessed with the good fortune

of good weather.

The Grade 11 Biology students em-

barked on a 5-hour journey through land

One Voice | A Student Publication of SJI International

9

and sea to Tioman, with the aim of gain-

ing a greater understanding of the natu-

ral environment distant from the con-

crete jungle many are familiar with.

Out of all the teachers who organised

and followed the students on the trip, Dr

Hjorth, Ms Carter and Mr Anandraj, the

presence of one would really baffle

many. When asked the reason for his

presence on

the trip, his

response was

that he

wanted to

show stu-

dents a differ-

ent side of

him, that

there was a

more adven-

turous Mr

Anandraj that

we hardly or

never get to

see in school

at all.

On the

second night

of the field

course, the

b i o l o g i s t s

received an

u n e x p e c t e d

treat which

came in the

form of one of

the seas most

endangered and yet protected animal, a

green sea turtle. It was about 1.30am

when Dr Hjorth’s voice invaded our

slumber with the words “turtle”, “once in

a life time” and “now”. At that very mo-

ment, everyone crawled out of bed and

slowly but surely headed towards the

beach. A green sea turtle was in the proc-

ess of laying its eggs. This sight was so

rare that it was a first even for some of

the guides.

The trek into foreign territory where

insects and forest adapted animals are

the dominant race was no less exciting.

The lush jungle was surrounded by the

symphony of cicadas, crickets, birds and

the sounds of swaying trees; all of which

replaced the sounds of honking cars, and

noisy individu-

als that we are

all too accus-

tomed to. Ani-

mals like a poi-

sonous coral

snake, colugos,

monitor lizards

and the black

giant squirrel

simply grazed

the surface of

the intricate

food web that

makes up an

ecosystem. The

experiments

undertaken in

the respective

rainforests,

such as the

measuring of

tree height and

the light inten-

sity, allowed

students to

take their skills

to the field,

making the studying of Biology more

dynamic and interactive.

The beauty of Tioman was not only

evident on the land, but also in the sea.

This was noticed by the students who

headed for Tulai Island, just off mainland

Tioman. There, the water sparkled like


10

diamonds and was crys-

tal clear. Schools of fish

swam by, in the serene

ecosystem, carrying on

with their lives as if we

never existed. From the

huge humphead wrasse

to the small damsel-

fishes, the sea bustled

with life and was a

treasure trove of new

discoveries for the stu-

dents.

We’re sure that all the

students who have been

to Tioman will agree

with us that the expedi-

tion truly was an eye

opening and a unique

experience. We learnt

so much about the for-

est, costal and man-

grove ecosystems, our teachers and

friends and the amount of fun studying

biology out of the classroom really is.

The one thing we can really implement

in our daily lives anywhere in the world

is really the consideration for the world

around us. Simple actions can go a long

way, for example, not using Styrofoam

boxes for your lunch and recycling.

These are all things that you can start

doing from school.

It was about 1.30am when

Dr Hjorth’s voice invaded

our slumber with the words

“turtle”, “once in a life time”

and “now”.

One Voice | A Student Publication of SJI International

And as a school community, it is our

responsibility to make our lives as good

as possible for each other and ourselves

and for future students.

“We do not inherit the Earth from

our ancestors; we borrow it from

our children” (Navajo Proverb)

PH

OT

OG

RA

PH

S B

Y J

EF

FR

EY

KO

NG

FO

R O

NE

VO

ICE

11

Wonder what Ms Bull has to say? Here’s

a little peek into her thoughts

What do you think of SJII?

I love the friendly and vibrant atmos-

phere of this school and I find cheap

thrills through my sense of humor. I en-

joy the close relationship that I have

with students as the small number of

students in each class allows this rela-

tionship to be enhanced. What drew me

to SJII were the school moral values and

it is a joy to be a member of this school.

It has been a pleasure that the students

never fail to appease me.

Why do you want to be a teacher?

I’ve always wanted to be a teacher or

journalist due to my interest towards

literature. I find that one of the greatest

gifts in being a teacher is that you are

constantly learning.

What is the difference between teach-

ing in a private school and govern-

ment school?

SJII has smaller classes and the curricu-

lar activities are more imaginative. The

teaching style is very different, as IB

brings out the creativity of students,

whereas O-level was dry learning. I was

Interview

Get to Know Your Teacher: Ms Bull BY VICTORIA GOH AND MINYING WONG


teaching in a local secondary school, and

was a teacher consultant. The amount of

work that was given to me can be com-

pared to an IB student’s. I had to write a

plan on how to enrich students in the

most efficient way possible. The noisy

class of 40 students did not help me in

getting accustomed to their style of

teaching, as I was teaching higher level

students back in England. I wish to get

back to it and therefore came to SJII.

FUN FACT Ms Bull’s father was in the army here

and was offered a permanent job, how-

ever her mother declined as it was the

best thing to do at that time. Her hus-

band lived in Singapore when he was

younger and she always wanted to know

what Singapore was like as her close

ones had experienced a period of time in

Singapore. She always wanted to come

to Singapore, be it on a visit, or a migra-

tion. Surprise surprise, a little visit, led to

her working in Singapore! A year after,

and landed up at SJII where all fun be-

gins!


OneVoice catches up with Bradian Muli-

adi, senior council president, to find out

his thoughts and opinions on the upcom-

ing senior council elections.

What attributes do you believe one

must have to join the council?

Persistence, Passion, Optimism, and the

love for sudden impromptus.

I believe that being a councilor is not all

about being extraordinarily intelligent or

quick witted. Although those traits are

relevant in some sense, the most valu-

able asset needed to endure in this rig-

orous undertaking is a positive attitude

towards everything. Despite the careful

planning of events, Councilors are

bound to face pitfalls which impede

them from reaching goals day in and day

out, and this persevering battle cry

should keep them striving for perfec-

tion.

How do the present senior council

work together to plan for school

events?

Basically, we have weekly meetings on

Mondays to discuss the agendas from

each portfolio. During the 'peak sea-

sons', we stay back after-school to ex-

tend meetings. It doesn't sound much,

however most of our duties are behind

the scenes, and groundwork is usually

done individually at home, which is why

we need to meet every week to make

Interview

Bradian’s Personal View on Senior Council BY REBECCA OU

sure every councilor is 'in the know' for

each portfolio.

What is the hardest part of being in

the council? How do you face this

problem?

For me, the hardest part of being in the

council is having to juggle schoolwork

along with council duties. I'm not saying

that there is always a trade-off between

the two, however there are cases where

you need to face personal dilemmas and

make a choice. The question is whether

you want to benefit yourself by focusing

on your own coursework or you want to

benefit the entire senior school popula-

tion by devoting time to make things

happen. In other words, I'd like to add

this trait to the previously posed ques-

tion; a councilor must be a 'man-for-

others'.

Can you give voters a brief under-

standing of what they should look for

in those who are running for council?

Objectively, look for altru-

ists. Subjectively, define your own hero.

What has been the most satisfying

thing that you experienced when be-

ing in the student council?

Simple 'Thank You's and a pat on the

back would always make long hours and

liters of sweat worth it. Never expect

much, so make sure you love your job, it

makes all the difference.


MUN: SJII’s Little Hopes of Nations BY VINCENT TANUTAMA

Model United Nations (MUN), which

was held on March 18 - 20, had allowed

SJII to send its pioneers to join the de-

bate, discussing thematic world issues

and finding resolutions to those prob-

lems. All the participants were from

grade 11, except Remy Birnbaum (grade

10). They were divided in groups, and

given a country and the issues it has.

Julian Lim, for example, was represent-

ing Cambodia and had to talk about envi-

ronmental issues. This is a very good

way to increase social awareness, and it

does not stop there. MUN has also

strengthened the participants’ way of

reasoning an argument. Not only that,

they can also make new friends, which

broadens their scopes of friendships,

therefore proves school values of M and

I: Mutual Respect and Internationalism.

For them, participating in MUN was a

very challenging yet exciting experience,

and hopefully, the seeds of hope will

grow for all nations.


What do you think about

It was a thoroughly

enriching experience

on a personal level. As

a representative of the

school, the whole MUN

embodied the ideals of

internationalism. MUN

in itself highlighted the

need for various per-

spectives to be ex-

plored. However, there

is much to be improved

on several aspects.

Magno Guidote, 11JHj

Ryan Lee, 11ATe

It was nice representing the

school. In my opinion, the confer-

ence was more about pointing out

the bad parts in ones resolution,

rather than trying to make the

world a better place. The confer-

ence opened up my eyes to the

many real world problems that

we face today. It also brought to

my attention the reason why

there are so many problems in the

world is partly due to the bu-

reaucracy in the UN. I also met a

lot of new friends from the French

school. Unfortunately during the

General Assembly, there was

some biasness some schools as

the chairs were from the same

school.

Grace See, 11JGo

Not only were the peo-

ple from the other

schools really fun to

work with, there was

still the level of friendly

competition. We were

opened up to worldly

issues and I would

gladly do it all over

again next year.

MUN was indeed a real eye-

opener for me, especially since I

was never part of the debate and

international community before.

It was really great to get to know

so many different people from

all sorts of different cultural

backgrounds. I think what was

the most amazing thing about

MUN was how everyone man-

aged to just mix so well without

any feeling of awkwardness at

all. I also took delight at observ-

ing the different ways one can

present personal opinions and it

was truly a great learning ex-

perience. I would definitely want

to be part of another conference.

Glen Koh, 11ATe


What do you think about Model United Nations?

Sharanya Nair, 11JHj

MUN was a great experience for me. I represented the environ-

mental sector for the United Arab Emirates and it helped me in

growing my knowledge on not just my country but of the rela-

tionships and disputes between some, and it affects on the

world. I thought putting SJII in this made us more recognised.

Being a new school, I think, it is vital for us to participate as

much as possible not just academically to put us on the map.

MUN brings together academic general knowledge with “on

the spot” thinking which challenges us in many aspects. MUN

being highly recognised and regarded in every country makes

SJII’s participation even more commended and important. It

has shown me the workings of what comprises us as a world

today and how we need to stay united as nations.

Rachel Tang, 11ASc

MUN was out of my comfort zone. I am really thankful that the

school has given its students this opportunity, especially to

those who have no experiences in debate. It was an activity

that allows you to make new friends who speak different lan-

guages and to develop an interest in current world issues that

teenagers today don’t think secondly about. It opens our eyes

to things like financial issues and what committee I was in:

human rights, which I thoroughly enjoyed creating a resolution

about. I hope that the school continues to encourage our stu-

dents by setting up a permanent team for MUN, allowing future

students to experience it.


Tucked In, Plugged Out Platinum: Unplugged Lost The Distortion

and Drums but Didn’t Lose The Energy BY DANIEL LIM

The setting was simple: stools and

microphones stood anxiously as they

awaited the long line of performers to

take stage. As the sun began to set, they

did just that as the Student Council

kicked off Platinum: Unplugged, one of

the most anticipated events of the school

calendar and the stripped down breth-

ren of its predecessor, the highly suc-

cessful Platinum rock show.

The tightly packed sell-out crowd

made the atmosphere in the Glass Hall

cosier and slightly less intimidating as it

would have been in a large hall. The

pressure was mounting but many of the

performers were comfortable and the

absence of the raised stage made every

performance more intimate and relat-

able as the next. Interaction was made

easier by the closeness of the audience to

the performers and many took advan-

tage, entertaining the crowd with audac-

ity and humour on top of stellar musical

performances.


The audience was treated to a

variety of performances. The dynamic

duo, Timothy Huang and Eddie Goh,

pleased the crowd with a mellow post-

reggae version of the beloved “Hey Ya!”

and Paul, Isabelle and Daniel of Tofu

Fighters conjured an acoustic mash-up

of “Replay” and “Whatcha Say”. Tenth

graders, Nigel Cheah and Ben Cher, gave

the audience a laugh to remember with

their portrayal of Jack and Kyle of Tena-

cious D. Michael Buble showed up in the

form of Surprise, Surprise and they did

not disappoint. The highlight of the eve-

ning was the end when the final act of

Jason Hong, Timothy Lim and CJ Wong

closed the show with humour and grace

despite breaking strings on two guitars

during their performance. Nevertheless,

they entertained and gave us all a night

to remember. Despite the lack of guitar

distortion and the drum set, this year’s

Platinum never missed a beat and lived

up to the hype and success of its prede-

cessor.

The Student Council also took the

opportunity to present Mr Scheelbeek

with a portrait of himself painted by the

talented Bao Anh for taking time to be a

judge during the audition process. The

show’s success is easily a testament to

Mr Scheelbeek’s eye for talent.

The performances took slightly

over two hours yet there was not a feel-

ing of restlessness in the crowd. In the

presence of good music, great company

and laid back atmosphere, time does fly.

Despite the lack of guitar

distortion and the drum set,

this year’s Platinum never

missed a beat and lived up

to the hype and success of

its predecessor.


3 wins in their last 4 meetings with

SJII saw the “socceroos” flushed with

confidence as they prepared to face SJII

for the first time this year. Due to many

controversial dramas (much controversy

and many a close call) and close calls the

boys in Green have had with the Austra-

lians, this is fast becoming known as an

“infamous derby” between these two

sides. With Gaffer and Coach, Mr. Rowdie

Loughlin picking a tight squad of 16, the

boys knew that they had to prove their

coach right for picking them. With al-

most half the team drafted from the Jun-

ior squad, the ex-Juniors brought, enthu-

siasm, liveliness and newfound aggres-

sion in them.

The first 10 minutes of the game saw

SJII being put under constant pressure

from the AIS boys ; as they frantically

cleared the balls, gave away passes and

mistimed their runs. The first substitu-

tion came in within 15 minutes, as Sec-

ond-Striker Sai Ming came off for Marcus

Mo. It was a stroke of genius by the

coach as Marcus made an instant impact;

getting the play more fluid and distribut-

ing the balls to the wings. The effort paid

off as SJII broke and scored in the 20th

minute; with a killer pass from Marcus to

Striker Paul Samuelle who made an ran

down the right, and timely passed the

ball to the on-rushing Ewan who coolly

and calmly placed the ball in the back o’

the net. 1-0 to SJII as they took the lead

Sports

Last Gasp Goal Wins It for SJII (3-2) BY PAUL SAMUELLE

for the first time against them in 2 years!

However, the lack of concentration

brought the team back to Earth as within

3 minutes ,SJII lost the lead with quick

passing from Scouse-Born, AIS mid-

fielder Phillip McCormick ; who scored

from 30 yards out with a loft pass,

which managed to fall into the back of

the net, and another occasion with cen-

tre back Edmund caught napping as he

mis-timed his header to intercept the

ball to allow AIS striker Sean to have all

the time in the world to beat the keeper

to the punch and gave AIS the lead. SJII

boys weren't willing to give in though, as

they looked for the elusive equalizer.

Quick passing and cheeky tricks were

enough to frustrate the AIS boys to give

away needless fouls and free kicks. Many

chances were gone begging through

many of Sai Ming’s accurate free-kicks

to Edmund and Paul, however bad con-

trol and miscommunication between the

players made it difficult to convert their

chances. The game turned its head when

dirty boy, Phillip McCormick literally

grappled with Marcus Mo on an occasion

to give away a free kick just outside the

box. Paul Samuelle swerved a deadly ball

into the far post where newly subbed,

Forlando(for Thomas), cushioned the

ball with his head to the path of right

back, Daniel Lim who literally drop-

kicked the ball into the net. 2-2. AIS had

the tendency to launch quick counter-


attacks against the run of play, and they

did just that before the half time whistle,

when Paul Wong handled the ball within

the penalty area for the referee to re-

ward AIS with a penalty. All eyes were

on goal keeper, Aldwin , as the SJII boys

crossed their fingers and hoped for a

miracle. The stars must have been on

their side, as Aldwin palmed the ball to

his right as the boys held on just before

the stroke of half time.

The interval commenced with SJII

attacking towards the “Kop End” (the

goal in front of the school), the boys

were more composed and less impulsive,

as they stuck to a tempo that suited their

game. The defense was water-tight and

gave Aldwin little to worry about al-

though there were a few scares , such as

a disallowed goal and their strikers miss-

ing from point blank range. With such a

hard-fought game, SJII needed some-

thing from someone special; and as the

game reached its dying minutes, striker

Paul Samuelle did just that. With a smart

ball down the left wing by defender Go-

kulan, left winger Quan Qi, picked up the

ball, made an audacious run , played the

ball to the centre where Ewan lurked

and with “Fabregas”-esqe move of bril-

liance, played a beautiful through ball to

Paul Samuelle, who timed his run , beat

the offside, breezed past AIS defenders:

Yuki and David Gammon, to slot home

the ball in replication to a strikers' finish

you see in the premier league; low, calm

and timed. The home crowd went ballis-

tic, as they managed to cheer their team

home to their second victory in pre-

season. With such rejuvenating spirit of

hope within the players and with new

players arriving into the first team, talks

of their first trophy reign have echoed

throughout the walls of SJII.

After winning 3 out of the 4 matches

against SJII, the Australian International

School (AIS) or “socceroos” as they call

themselves, were brimming with confi-

dence with the first match of the year.

There was some bad blood between both

teams and the match was nicknamed the

“Infamous Derby” by members of both

teams. With Gaffer and Coach Mr. Lough-

lin picking 16 boys (most of whom are

from the junior squad), we had much to

prove not only to the “socceroos” but to

ourselves.

While we were at first pressurized

by the “socceroos”, a substitution of Sai

Ming for Marcus Mo allowed Ewan to

scored the first goal of the match, and

marked the first time we took the lead

from the “socceroos” in 2 years! The

“socceroos” quickly equalized and later

took the lead. Sjii didn’t give up though,

taking any chance to equalize, slipping

up the “Socceroos” giving us many op-

portunities for free kicks. A penalty shot

allowed Daniel Lim to literally drop kick

the ball into the net, giving SJII the equal-

izer they desired. An unsuccessful pen-

alty shot from the “socceroos” ended the

first half.

Newly revitalized, we were more

focused and less rash. Our defence,

tighter, we prevented many a goal from

being scored. As the game was nearing

the end, Paul Samuelle broght a miracle

to bear, scoring during extra time. The

crowd went wild, cheering the team to

their second preseason victory. We hope

building and new blood, we might just be

able to bring home SJII’s first trophy.

With such rejuvenating spirit of

hope within the players and with

new players arriving into the

first team, talks of their first tro-

phy reign have echoed through-

out the walls of SJII.


Sports

Track and Field Meet BY PETRUS BOSA LAYARDA

This year was the second time SJII

has participated in the annual track and

field meet for international schools in Sin-

gapore; where students from both middle

and senior school were sent as represen-

tatives. This track and field meet was held

at the Singapore American School (SAS)

on Saturday, 13 March 2010.

Sadeep, Year 12, won the only gold

for SJI International in the high jump

event. He deftly cleared the starting bar

and went on to jump over the winning

height of 184cm, beating the runner-up by

a sensational 9cm gap.

Some remarkable feats were also

achieved by the runners. Ben Cher, Year

10, made it to the finals after finishing

first in his 100m heat. Other runners in-

cluded Edmund Yeung, Tan Quan Qi and

Abel Tiong of the senior school.

Lynette Koh, Year 10, was the only

female runner representing the school.

She participated in the 1.5km run and

completed her laps in a resounding time.

The other categories that SJI Interna-

tional competed in were the 4x100m and

4x400m relay races, boys 400m sprints

and boys 1.5km run.


Lasallian Road Run

By Jade Rasif

Who’s got spirit? WE DO! Students

from Lasallian schools, alumni and par-

ent volunteers, all came together at East

Coast Park for the annual Lasallian Road

Run to celebrate and honor the Lasallian

virtues of service, charity and fellowship.

On Saturday, March 12th at 8am

sharp, East Coast Park was a flurry of

white and green as Lasallians from all

over the island donned their PE kits and

gathered at East Coast Park for the an-

nual Lasallian Road Run. From the eager

faces of Primary 1 students to the com-

petitive seasoned seniors in their final

year, the run boasted almost 500 partici-

pants; all ready and eager to cross the

finish line first and do their school

proud.

The attendees consisted of student

from the 7 LaSalle school-St Patrick’s

school, St Stephen’s, De La Salle School,

St Joseph’s Institution, St Anthony’s

School and of course, St Joseph’s Institu-

tion International. Even though SJII has

the smallest student population, I was

proud to see so many familiar faces in

the crowd.

The run was differentiated into two

groups, the 2km run for secondary

school students and a 1.6km run, meant

for students from primary school. How-

ever a common finish line was estab-

lished close to the SAFRA chalets so that

the students of all ages could mingle,

share refreshments and take a well-

deserved nap on the nearby East Coast

beaches.

Sports

Run Run Run!

The annual run is organized by all the

Lasallian schools to raise funds to build

new school facilities. As for SJII students,

many are hoping this money will contrib-

ute to the building of a sports hall that we

all can enjoy.

Although technically, a fun run has no

prizes were issued, and those in the know

told me of a friendly competition between

schools. “Everyone wants a representative

from their school to win, last year it was a

St Josephian but this year it’s going to St

Pats” says an unnamed runner for St Pat-

rick’s School.

Also among the many faces present

was Tan Wen Han of SJI. Having recently

sprained his ankle, he was motivated to

attend the run in order to raise money for

his school. “My friends were a great source

of inspiration” he says. “They spurred me

on. Besides, its for a great cause”.

Even though the run aimed to raise

money for schools, it also served the pur-

pose of bringing schools and students of

different ages groups closer together, as

well as encouraging physical activity for a

healthy body; proving LaSallian schools

are really all about a well rounded educa-

tion.


X-Campus Run

By Yeoh Jiayi

The hierarchy of the senior school has

once again proven its accuracy in this

race- the savvy team of teachers outper-

form the students; and the grade

twelve’s outran the grade eleven’s. For-

tunately, we were blessed for the fine

weather on that very day. Well done to

all students who have kept their team

spirit sky high from the start and all the

way through. All runners have shown

definite determination in the race. Stu-

dent spectators will never forget marvel-

ling at the speed of some of the runners.

They seemed to just rush through the

runway smoothly as if they were stand-

ing on a stealth bomber! Congratulations

to all student and teachers who have

participated in this event! Finally let’s

give a big thanks to Petrus Bosa for or-

ganising this amazing event that re-

ceived full support!

Here are the results of the race:

In the very first place

The teacher’s team

Mr Dholakia, Miss Mathias-Williams,

Miss Old, Miss Carter, Mr Rainone, Mr

Thorpe, Dr. Hjorth, Mr Glew, Mr Loughlin

In first place

11HBa

Second

12RRa and 12NDh (TIE!)

Third place

12 EMW

Most supportive tutor group 11 ASc

Run Run Run! (continued)


There are many legends and theories about

the origin of the April Fool’s tradition on the

first of April. One of the theories comes about

the French calendar reform of the 16th century.

France changed its calendar in 1564. The origi-

nal New Year was at the end of March but they

changed it to January first. The people who did

not change their calendars and stuck to the

original New Year, which was during the week

that was between March 25th and April 1st , had

jokes played on them. Paper fish would be stuck

to their backs. The names of the victims of the

prank were called Poisson d’Avril – April Fish.

The French term for April Fool’s to this day still

is Poisson d’Avril. This is just one of the theo-

ries of the origin of April Fool’s.

However, some historians argue that this

change of calendar theory is more plausible if

applied to Britain. This is because the British

New year’s day was on March 25 (which was

the date of the Christian Feast of annunciation).

This was followed by a week of festivities. The

highest point of these festivities was celebrated

on April 1st.

Holy Week and Easter

By Ivor Tan

After the 40 days of lent, a period known to the Catholic Church as the Holy Week,

which starts on Palm Sunday and ends on Easter Sunday. The Holy Week is a time of in-

tense prayer and reflection for all Catholics as the big celebrations of Maundy Thursday,

Good Friday and Holy Saturday are celebrated one after another. This following of events

is vital in the Catholic faith as the events reflect the timeline between the Last Supper, Je-

sus’ death and his resurrection, which is the most important Feast Day in the entire litur-

gical calendar.

Easter is often associated with the Easter Bunny and Easter Eggs, but there is a much

deeper meaning into the day many Catholics celebrate. The most important reason for the

celebration is the belief that on that day, Jesus effectively conquered over death and in

doing so, cleansed the human race of sin. For many Catholics, the sign of Jesus’ resurrec-

tion is one of renewed hope and the many sacrifices God has given to save the world.

So before you start hunting for Easter Eggs or attend that oh-so-important Easter Party,

take a minute or two to reflect on the true meaning of Easter and then, enjoy yourself dur-

ing the celebrations. Happy Easter!

Regarding Special Days

On April Fool’s Day or All Fool’s Day, jokes

and pranks are made on each other. People

have been discovering more types of pranks as

the years pass.

The customs and traditions of this day is

that in some places such as England, people are

only allowed to prank others up till 12 noon. It

is believed that pranks played after that time

would bring bad luck to the victim. Retaliating

to the joke or prank with anger or any signs of

negativity would also bring bad luck.

It is said that being fooled by a pretty girl

would result in either her hand or marriage or

just a friendship at least. Some men believe that

getting married on this day would lead to their

wives being the dominating one. Also, children

who are born on this special day are said to be

lucky, except in the area of gambling.

April Fool’s Day might not be a public holi-

day but it is still known as one of the most fun

days ever. It brings about a lot of happiness in

people and everyone looks forward to this time

of the year!

April Fool’s Day

By Tan Shulin, Jade Rasif and Alessia Tassinari


Reviews Movies Music Books Tips

Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief

By Alessandra Kriz

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief

rated PG is suitable for all ages. Released in

Theaters February 11 2010 this movie is

selling fast. With awesome sound affects and

an amazing and catchy plot, this movie is a

must watch and is worth its money.

The movie starts with Poseidon going to

the Empire State Building where he finds

Zeus who accuses him of stealing his master

bolt and blaming it on Percy, Zeus says that if

by midnight of the Summer solstice the bolt

is not returned that there would be a war.

The movie continues telling people about

a troubled kid with dyslexia and ADHD, Percy

Jackson, living in upstate New York with is

mother and his smelly stepfather, Gabe Ugli-

ano. He goes to Yancy Academy and has a

friend with crutches, Grover Underwood; he

lives a normal life until a trip to the Natural

Museum of History where Miss Dodds, his

demon English teacher, attacks him and fails.

He learns that he is a Son of Poseidon and

must go to Camp Half-Blood in order to be

safe. He learns that his history teacher is a

centaur and his best friend is half goat.

Percy Jackson (played by Logan Lerman)

then goes on a quest to find Persephone’s

Three Pearls that will grant them exit out of

the Underworld in order to save his mother

and find Zeus’ master bolt all before the Sum-

mer Solstice.

This movie that includes many huge Holly-

wood stars and a Grammy winning director

is a movie nobody can miss. It is an Adven-

ture-Mythology and Fiction movie all in one.

Rated highly by many critics it is a movie

soon to be one of the Top Hits. The movie

based on the book Percy Jackson and the

Lightning Thief by bestselling author, Rick

Riodan, is one of a series of five that are

about Percy going on quests and discovering

that on his sixteenth birthday he gets a

prophecy which can change the world. Peo-

ple are hoping that there will be more Percy

Jackson movies to follow.

This movie is interesting, exciting and edu-

cational all in one!! It is a movie that is great

for all ages and gets kids interested in my-

thology. Considered one of the Best Movies of

the Month, the movie is a must watch for the

whole family.


Persepolis

By David Lee

The movie Persepolis, based on the

autobiographical graphic novel by Marjane

Satrapi, is by far one of the best movies I

have seen this year. The story is centred on

Marjane’s life growing up during the Ira-

nian Revolution as a child, immigrating to

the Austria as a teen, moving back to Iran

as a young adult resulting in a final trip to

France.

The entire movie is animated and done

in black and white, which is hugely differ-

ent from most animated films we watch

today. The characters were incredibly well

written, each one a unique view of politics

and culture in Iran during the 70’s. The

story, though set in the oppressive regime

of fundamentalist Iran, shows that happi-

ness and humanity can still thrive in the

direst situations.

Though the movie carries some dark

undertones which deal with weighty is-

sues, like death, terrorism and religion, it

does contain a pinch of humour; portray-

ing the simplistic, naive nature of child-

hood, the schizophrenic jumble of feelings

of teens and the tribulations of adulthood.

In conclusion, one of the best movies I

have watched, personally I recommend it

to anyone with free time during the holi-

days, or if possible to read the comics as

well, which should be available at any good

book shop.

March is approaching its end, and eve-

ryone should now have been well inte-

grated into your respective services. None-

theless there can still be awareness of the

various types of services that are available

in the school should you want to try some-

thing new or want to join in order to add

to your list of activities.

This month to focus will be on Assisi

Hospice. A service organized by Ms.Smyth,

and it is located in Thompson road near

Mount Alvernia Hospital, and it is quite

close to school. Activities are varied so as

to shake things up and preventing the mo-

notony of the same process over and over

again every week. Some of the activities

that have occurred so far range from wash-

ing vans, organizing games for the old

folks, training how to use a wheelchair, etc.

The service is held every Tuesday dur-

ing the last two periods.

SERVICE COLUMN By Patrick Ren


World War Z by Max Brooks details the

first hand experiences of a fictional (OR IS

IT?) zombie plague that has engulfed the

globe. Rather than being centred on one

individual’s story like most horror books,

we are given the experiences of everyone

involved at the time. From a soldier retak-

ing America from the “Zed heads” to politi-

cians to an astronaut watching the earth’s

descent into chaos from above, the author

takes a global perspective on the threat of

the zombie apocalypse. And it is one of my

personal favourite and most recom-

mended books.

World War Z is perhaps as much a testa-

ment to humanity as it is a horror novel

(cynics like myself, would feel that both

are one and the same). We see some truly

detestable characters trying to make as

much profit from selling off “cures” to pre-

vent becoming zombie and the horrific

extent ordinary people will go to for sur-

vival or the arguably inhumane measures

that allow humanity to survive near extinc-

tion. This gives the novel an almost legiti-

mate feel, and it is a testament to the au-

thor to create not only a believable back-

drop, but characters that react as would

anyone in their situation. That being said,

this novel, is not a gore fest, most descrip-

tions of violence are minimal and the story

of the individual takes centre stage. Those

looking for buckets of blood need look

elsewhere.

The only issue I take is that the writing

style might not be for everyone. Instead of

being written in the third person like most

horror novels, this book is written in the

first person which might not be to every-

one’s tastes. Other than that it is a brilliant

Max Brooks: World War Z By David Lee

book and I heartily recommend you read

it at some point in your life.

If you are into that sort of thing: Max

Brooks has another zombie book out (The

Zombie Survival Guide) both books are

available in most leading bookshops. Pride

And Prejudice And Zombies is another rec-

ommendation, imagine Elizabeth Bennet

trained as a ninja, killing zombies in 19th

century England (except less stupid than

my description and more awesome).


SurvIBe: What The Experts Say By Scott Lim

A good tip starts with a

sip…

Expert: “There are three basic things

you have to balance with, in IB; grades,

friends and sleep. You can only have

two of out of those three and have to

sacrifice the last. If you want all three,

you got to have mad, mad time manage-

ment skills. Then there’s always cof-

fee…”

Caleb Ting

[A qualified student of IB]

Keep this in mind the next time you buy

a beverage. It might just save your life

Learning to walk starts with the smallest of steps…

Expert: “When you get assignments, complete it ASAP. For example, on the ex-

tended essay, even writing small

segments bit by bit is still better than trying to compile it all a week before its

deadline. Don’t forget to use your student planner or any form of organisation ma-

terial, because it is really good for noting down useful information like dates of

charity events.”

Anonymous

[However she is commonly known as the Monkey Goddess or Dragon Lady on the

streets. She is a renowned heroine of IB]

She mastered the art of fusion in both her work and play.

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