The Campus Observer

This is not another cynical take on V-Day

Sat, 10 Feb 2007 22:07:19 +0800

Commentary
By Rosmi Nitasya
Marketing/Advertising Manager

Ah, love is in the air. Or so they say.

For a single girl like myself, it could get rather depressing (or irritating - depending on the amount of pink I see) to walk around school on Valentine's Day.

Sure, I'm bound to see a deliriously happy couple walking hand-in-hand each time I turn a corner. And, without even having to turn a corner, I am faced with a barrage of hearts, butterflies and flowers made out of coloured paper and other art materials hanging from the ceiling and tables and stuck on the walls on campus.

But it is not such sights that exasperate me. As cliche as it may sound, what unsettles me most about Valentine's Day is how the occasion has taken on a whole new assortment of (insignificant) meanings in our modern consumer culture.

Buy me a valentine

The ancient practice of exchanging love notes, called "valentines," has undeniably taken a turn towards commercialization today. With valentines being replaced by greeting cards, the Greeting Card Association of America estimates that approximately one billion Valentine's Day cards are sent each year worldwide, thus tagging the day as yet another "Hallmark holiday."

A Hallmark holiday is a term used to describe a holiday that has become so commercialized that its significance has been somewhat reduced.

Apart from greeting cards, it has become customary, and almost obligatory, that gifts such as flowers, chocolate, teddy bears and all other things sweet get exchanged too.

Valentine's Day is now much more about the amount of money one spends on their loved one, rather than the amount of love one has for their loved ones.

So, what did you receive today?

Not only has our commercial culture made Valentine's Day a transaction-based holiday, it has made it seem like a taboo if one is not at the giving or receiving end of the transaction.

It can be a very trying time for singles who do not have that special someone to splurge on and be with on Valentine's Day.

It gets pretty tiresome seeing girls, with a bouquet of flowers in their hands, parade their boyfriends on campus with that smug expression on their faces. The conceited look on their faces seems to say: "I got roses. He gave me roses. Aren't they beautiful?"

Suddenly, it has become a travesty for single girls to walk around empty handed on Valentine's Day.

I understand that it must leave a good warm feeling to receive a gorgeous bouquet of flowers from someone special, but please do not overdo it.

Please do not label me a social reject just because I do not receive flowers on Valentine's Day.

Oh, and please do not "dangle" your boyfriend in my face, thank you very much!

As if having to face girls walk around with flowers and boyfriends is not enough, I sometimes have to face girls who, in an attempt to play down the fact that they are celebrating Valentine's Day, dismiss their flowers and boyfriends.

I have heard girls complain, "Now I've got to walk around with this silly huge bunch of flowers. It's so embarrassing."

Others express their so-called indignation about having to celebrate Valentine's Day.

"Oh dear, I'm going to miss (insert popular TV show name here) tonight! I've got a date with my boyfriend at (insert popular romantic restaurant name here). Obligation - it's Valentine's Day. How I wish I am single and carefree like you!"

Not only for those in love

Another grouse for me is the impossibility of fleeing from Valentine's Day, even if you have no intention, inclination, or reason to celebrate it.

To help singles escape the overdoses of "I-love-you" that they would tend to overhear when the day comes around, the ever-opportunistic commercial culture that we all live in has come up with the ingenious "singles rule" concept.

In fact, a Singles Awareness Day has been christened in the celebration of "singlehood." According to the Singles' Awareness website, Feb. 15 has been declared Singles Awareness Day, a day that "all of the single people can proudly stand up and show that it is okay to be single."

Instead of allowing singles to wallow in self-pity or espouse cynicism, let us - the singles - celebrate "singlehood" instead. Let us invent a Singles Awareness Day. Let us single people get together for a night out in town, try to ignore the mushy love notes being passed around, and let us try tell the world that it is not the end of it even if one does not receive one of such notes.

Is it not ironic to believe that a celebration of "singlehood" with other singles makes the experience of a lonely Valentine's Day less lonesome? The fact is that it reaffirms and emphasizes one's loneliness. Is it not a denial of what the day is about? The fact remains that singles are not meant to celebrate Valentine's Day.

Talking about irony, has anyone noticed that the acronym for Singles Awareness Day is SAD?

Say it like you mean it

It is a simple concept, really. Stripped of all the marketing fluff, Valentine's Day is, and should be, a day meant for couples to celebrate their mutual love. So I say, let it be celebrated the way it was meant to be. Not as a Hallmark holiday and not as Singles Awareness Day.

Let us keep it as a simple, beautiful day for lovers to express their love for one another.

Objects to desire at Peranakan art exhibition

Fri, 9 Feb 2007 22:15:43 +0800

By Winnie Lui

NUS' Baba House has yet to undergo restoration but members of the public can still get up close and personal with all things Peranakan at "Objects & Desire," and in a creative manner too.

Held at the NX gallery at the NUS Museum, the "Objects and Desire" exhibition began as a conceptual project that saw eight artists take on the challenge of creating works of art based on the Baba House and Peranakan culture.

The invited artists hail from the United States, Australia, Germany, Mexico, Malaysia and Singapore.

The exhibition, which opened on Wednesday, is held in conjunction with the launch of the NUS' Baba House in September this year. The Peranakan-style building is located at 157 Neil Road and will open as a museum of Peranakan culture and heritage.

NUS Centre for the Arts, which organized the exhibition, called each of the works on display at the exhibition "conceptual in its design, delivery, and presentation."

Aimed to allow visitors to explore the "different ways of exploring, presenting and appreciating art," the exhibition features creations across a range of media that includes installation art, product design, interactive sound and food.

"These objects will tease our senses," said director of CFA Christine Khor to visitors during her speech at the opening ceremony of "Objects & Desire."

Guests attending the opening ceremony were indeed teased. A major feature at the opening ceremony of "Objects & Desire" was edible art.

"The added dimensions using smell and taste will give us at this exhibition opening a fuller appreciation of this unique cultural fusion," Khor said of the food exhibits.

One such exhibit is Fal Allen's collaboration with Andrea Teo.

Allen, brew master at Archipelago Brewery, handcrafted three different beers - Traveller's Wheat, Traders Brown Ale and Ming - to represent his experience with the Peranakan culture.

Allen said each beer is a "fusion of the European brewing tradition and Asian spices" and has its own distinctive flavour and character.

Made with Asian herbs and spices such as tamarind, ginger, lemon grass and wolfberry, the beers were also created to complement the Peranakan food served at the opening ceremony.

Another food-related artwork came in the form of a slanted fridge, which opens up to reveal little jars of blue Peranakan jelly.

The exhibit, the creation of Mexican artist Mauricio Alejo, investigates home objects and their forms.

Alejo said the slanted fridge, like the rest of his work, deals with the "pernicious ways of equilibrium" as he feels that a sense of danger will add to aesthetic experience.

Alejo also produced a range of photographs and sculptural installations, which captured his 20-day experience with the Peranakan culture, for "Objects & Desire."

"I'm addressing the idea of the dynamics of a culture (by) mixing things from the past and the present," he said.

Other notable exhibits at "Objects & Desire" included the creations of German architect and artist, Bettina Johae, who investigated the traces of Peranakan culture in Singapore through the use of mapping.

Documenting in small squares with specific details of her daily route around places of Peranakan heritage, such as Emerald Hill and Baba House, Johae said her way of understanding a city was to fragment it.

The efforts of the artists and CFA did not go unnoticed.

"I think the concept and idea of the exhibition is very good," said Miriam Padilla, a representative from the Cultural and Public Affairs department of the Embassy of Spain.

Padilla added that she believed the Peranakan culture was still very much alive and vibrant in Singapore and it should be something that Singaporeans are proud of.

Christine Ong also said people are now more aware of Peranakan culture due to such exhibitions and she will continue to give support.

"We are all very passionate about our culture," said Ong, who is a Peranakan porcelain maker. "It will not be a dying breed."

Hype moves crowds but not hearts

Thu, 8 Feb 2007 21:49:28 +0800

Commentary
By Amanda Zhang
Perspective Editor

"Every single student is a member of the union, I'm serious!"

This was one of the comments scribbled on a large sheet of paper displayed on an exhibition board at the Central Forum during Fest La Vie, NUS Union Week.

Sarcasm and skepticism deeply etched in just one remark, it certainly dampened the hype the NUS Students' Union was trying to push for during the fair.

Held from Jan. 29 to Friday, Union Week was another initiative by NUSSU to inform and educate the student population about its activities and objectives.

General secretary of the 28th NUSSU Executive Committee, Lionel Wong said, "We want to reach out to the students and tell them what we have been doing. For example, we have been working closely with the school administration to work out the tuition fees scheme."

Attending auctions and performances staged on the first two days of fair, I enjoyed the general atmosphere and hype. Inviting local celebrities Glen Ong, Paul Twohill and Jasmine Tye to perform were also smart moves by NUSSU to attract the masses.

However, the highlight of the exhibition was a board on which displayed a summary of the initiatives and projects the Union has been, and will be, working on in the year.

Finally, some transparency, I thought. The suggestions and ideas listed were not only feasible, but also practical and contributed to the welfare of the student population.

I was particularly impressed when Wong said the union was working on providing shelters over the walkways from bus stops to buildings. This was certainly a major gripe amongst students.

However, Union Week still lacked that factor that failed to pack the punch despite the commendable effort NUSSU and its clubs had put in to win the hearts of the students.

Ultimately, the union still did not address its main problem - a failure to connect with the student population.

The remark made by the anonymous contributor was certainly an indicator of the lack of ownership the student population feels towards the union.

The fact that every matriculated student is a member of the union has almost become a myth. Lir Huiling, a fourth-year life sciences undergraduate, said though the fair did help to inform passers-by about the services provided by the union, there was little interaction among the union officers and the student population.

"There is no real attempt to make relationships with us. When there is little interaction, there is little understanding. When there is little understanding, there will be no true representation."

Skye Low, a fourth-year Faculty of Arts and Social Science student, also agreed that there was insufficient interaction between the union and the student population.

"There will be no real channel of input for the students to feedback to the union," she said.

While both Lir and Low have rightly pointed out the distanced relationship the union shares with the student population, there is also something to be said about the lack of interest on the part of the students.

Wong said NUSSU is already trying to work on its communication with the student body. However, attempts to do so at Union Week were generally futile.

"We tried going round to talk to the students at the forum. However, they were studying and did not really want to talk," he said.

Apathy and general indifference to the union is currently a problem the union faces. However, should NUSSU continue leaving this as an irresolvable barrier?

An aggressive, personal and sincere approach needs to be taken in order to overcome this apathy.

Understandably, the union may not be able to achieve amazing results and changes overnight, but, most importantly, basic trust and a real relationship needs to be established between the union and the student population.

I am convinced that NUSSU has been fulfilling its part of the contract in trying its best to meet the needs of the students. However, there is still much work to be done in order for the union to win the support and hearts of the students.

Other than just one-off attempts to talk to students, there needs to be a persistent effort to make small talk with students. When there is a real bond and friendship with students, then will the union truly earn their rightful place as student representatives.

True leadership does not mean just fulfilling tangible objectives. At the end of the day, NUSSU is not just a club or society. NUSSU is really about student representation, an intangible but necessary objective.

Student union needs student support

Tue, 6 Feb 2007 21:56:10 +0800

Personal interview
By Noelle Loh

The NUS Students' Union is not the organization that some students think does nothing.

"It's just that we don't go around broadcasting. It's just that we have not been doing much publicity about what we are doing," said Tay E Teng, current president of NUSSU.

Tay was speaking to The Observer in a one-on-one, face-to-face interview held earlier today at the Grinning Gecko cafe, just metres away from the Central Forum where the inaugural Union Week, a NUSSU outreach programme, is being held.

The 28th president of NUSSU was not being oblivious to the irony of her statement, which she made in response to students she called "sceptical" towards the union and its activities.

Instead, she was referring to progress made on the union's projects to benefit students.

"We will only inform students of major developments," Tay said, adding that she was unsure if students would be interested in constantly receiving emails about every single action the union takes.

For the present NUSSU committee, "major developments" have included the extension of the Central Library's opening hours during the examination period to 24 hours and consultation sessions with the university administration on issues such as the instability of the Centralized Online Registration System.

Do not get Tay wrong. The fourth-year University Scholars Programme business student wants the NUS student population to know that NUSSU is "constantly" doing its part in representing the student body and ensuring its welfare.

For one, she revealed that NUSSU has been "particularly vocal" in its attempt to get the Office of Estate and Development to erect sheltered walkways linking Sheares Hall and Kent Ridge Hall to the bus stop outside Ho Sui Sen Memorial Library. Another has been planned for the distance between the Central Forum and the bus stop closest to it.

And while previous NUSSU committees had also been pushing for these infrastructural improvements, Tay said, the 28th NUSSU committee is finally making some headway.

What is trying about the whole process is getting students to become more aware of NUSSU's efforts and to support the students' union.

Tay said certain initiatives take a longer time to be approved by the administration and to be implemented, leading students to think that the union is not doing anything.

Not denying that there are students who are appreciative of NUSSU's efforts, Tay said there are also people "who take things for granted when things are going well."

She said she thinks such an attitude might have some something to do with the "Asian mindset," which does not encourage one to praise others for their achievements.

"People only criticize you when things are not doing well," Tay said.

Then there are students who do not seem to know what the union is or does.

According to Tay, members of NUSSU who approached students in the past week at the Union Week event were often met with questions about what the union does.

"(Students) will ask, 'What do you do?'" Tay said. "Unions are not very vocal in Singapore. Maybe that's why students may not know what a union is."

Tay and her committee organized Union Week with the aim of changing this.

"We hope all students will get a chance to learn what the union is," Tay said. "Before we even build the (NUSSU) brand, there is a need for students to know the existence of the union."

So determined is the 28th NUSSU committee to establish its presence in school as a representative of the students that "10 plus" members of NUSSU embarked on a five-day trip, which was subsidized by the Office of Student Affairs, in early January.

Their destination - Hong Kong and Shanghai. The purpose of their trip - to learn about how unions in foreign universities operate.

Tay said, following visits from unions of other universities to NUS, NUSSU realized it was time to "actually go out and see" for itself.

What the NUSSU committee members brought back with them was the idea to provide a feedback wall on which students can leave comments on issues that affect campus life.

Tay said a friend had told her that in the Hong Kong universities during the school term, the feedback walls set up by the student unions would be filled.

"The students would actually leave constructive comments," Tay said.

What The Observer saw on the feedback wall NUSSU set up at Union Week was not quite so. Apart from a handful of responses about the alternative tuition fees models suggested by NUSSU, messages included declarations of love and hand-written advertisements by co-curricular activities groups.

When The Observer raised this to Tay during the interview, the NUSSU president replied with a half-smile.

"Students don't realize that when we have stronger backing from the students, it puts us in a better position to get things done for the students."

Related stories:
Time to pull the plug
NUSSU elects first female president

The little things that count

Sat, 3 Feb 2007 19:46:27 +0800

Commentary
By Aaron Ng
Managing Editor (Production)

It is not surprising that Shih Choon Fong announced a freeze in tuition fees for the next academic year in the president's circular.

After all, the government has taken the lead in freezing fees for all educational institutions other than tertiary institutions in view of the impending increase in the GST. If NUS decides to increase its fees, it would be an indirect slap in the government's face, which is something that NUS would certainly want to avoid, considering that a huge bulk of the university's funds come from the government.

Nonetheless, even though the freeze in fees is expected, it is a good sign that a circular was drafted and sent out to all students in NUS informing them about the news. It shows that the NUS administration is starting to understand what it means to be student oriented.

Being student oriented is not just about increasing the value of the NUS degree through stellar performance in international rankings of universities. Neither is it just about offering student-exchange opportunities, double-degree programmes or joint-degree programmes with other top universities.

While such big initiatives and crowning achievements are appreciated, what really strike the hearts of students are the small little things, such as the president's circular. The university president's sending out a circular to all students informing them of important decisions that will affect them is a very clear gesture of the university's concern for the well being of students.

Of course, merely informing students of important decisions is not enough. Two-way communication is necessary in order to be completely student oriented. Relying solely on a one-way, top-down, communication model will eventually lead to the perception of propaganda and spin. The university must solicit feedback from the general student population on important matters and act on the feedback received in order for students to feel that the university cares for them.

For instance, the Office of Estate and Development organized a road show last semester to inform students of the closure of the canteen in the arts and social sciences faculty for a major overhaul, as well as to solicit feedback on the issue. The original plan was to close the canteen in October but after reviewing student feedback, OED pushed the date back to the end of the instructional period in November.

Such proactive and receptive actions naturally win the hearts of students.

It really isn't that difficult to be student-oriented. All it takes is to be mindful of the little things, just like how OED did it.

Superstar heads back to school

Fri, 2 Feb 2007 19:53:25 +0800

By Kenneth Joel Phua

Huang Shiyu is no stranger to stardom. In 2003, the finalist in this year's edition of "Project Superstar" also made it to the finals of well-known talent competition "Star Search," in which he competed against regional competitors from China, Taiwan and Malaysia. While he did not win top honours at the competition, the then 21-year-old was offered a one-year contract by local broadcaster Mediacorp.

Currently a third-year NUS business student, Huang said he always had a keen interest in music and performance.

He was part of the band ensemble in his secondary school and later went on to form his own band in junior college.

"I had always enjoyed singing, performing and song-writing," said the National Junior College alumnus.

Joining "Project Superstar 2," a popular nationwide singing and idol competition, was thus not a difficult decision for Huang to make.

"We won't be young forever and being young is the time for you to explore while you can," Huang said.

The undergraduate-cum-performing artiste encourages other students who aspire to become artistes to "follow their dreams."

However, the marketing major admits balancing school and being in the competition was a "challenging experience."

"I'm surprised at how he did it," said Amanda Eng, a third-year business student in NUS. "As a full time student, I already am finding it difficult to cope."

Huang's determination to balance university life with his career might have something to do with his belief that education is of "utmost importance."

"In Singapore, you need a degree for a decent living," he said. "It is a personal choice - how you want to manage your own time and to choose your own priorities."

Second-year law student Jonathan Lau, who is also concurrently pursuing a career in song-writing, fully agrees.

"It's not about how much time you have. It's about making time for the things you love," he said.

Aspiring entertainers such as Law might seek comfort in knowing that Huang was not alone when he played the dual roles of student and rising "superstar."

According to Huang, the school was supportive of his pursuit of a music career.

"They have been quite supportive of me. After they saw me on TV, they even said they would root for me," said Huang of his tutors and lecturers.

Now that he has been eliminated from the competition, which will crown its winner on Feb. 3, Huang said he is redirecting his focus to studies. He added that he would not be taking part in other talent competitions any time soon.

Not that Huang has lost the music bug.

The "Project Superstar 2" finalist, who was eliminated on Nov. 23 last year, said he would probably continue to pursue his music career. However, he is going to let performing "take a back seat" and venture into songwriting on a part-time bass instead.

Huang's long-term plans are more open to change.

"I'm still at a phase of sorting out my goals and my priorities and I'm still not sure what opportunities may come," he said. "I still have not decided whether I should pursue my honours yet."

Huang added that he might even consider a career in banking.

His attitude towards such a career path is as positive as the one he bears towards his career in the limelight.

He added that one should not be afraid to aim high, especially if they feel he or she has the potential.

"Just give it a try, who knows where you might end up?" he said. "If you don't try, you'll never know."

NUS student involved in car accident in Pennsylvania passes away

Fri, 2 Feb 2007 19:48:56 +0800

By Brian Higgs

One of the five NUS students involved in a traffic accident, which occurred in Pennsylvania on Jan. 21, died on Friday around 11:40 p.m. EST.

According to Leila Thayalan, head of media relations at NUS, Chong Huei Ching suffered serious injuries during the accident and had been fighting for her life for five days before her condition began to deteriorate.

Chong was a computational biology major from the Faculty of Science and was attending the NUS Overseas Colleges programme in Bio Valley, Philidelphia, when the car accident occurred.

She was one of three students who sustained serious injuries during the accident. The other two students who were in the same car and seated in the front suffered minor injuries.

All had been attending the NOC programme.

"(Chong) was serious from the start, but was actually in a stable condition for the first couple of days," Thayalan said. "Everyone was still hopeful that she would pull through the critical condition and that she would make some recovery."

"This is something that we are all very saddened by," the media relations head added.

Meanwhile, the other two students who also suffered serious injuries in the accident are out of intensive care.

"They were in intensive care receiving medical treatment for awhile," Thayalan said. "The two students are (now) conscious and the counselors are attending to them."

Thayalan also revealed that the driver of the other vehicle involved in the accident suffered minor injuries.

The NUS students were driving back to Philadelphia after their weekend break when their car skidded on an icy road and hit another vehicle.

Thayalan said the local police are conducting investigations into the accident and will "let relevant people know" once they have uncovered all the facts of the case.

Thayalan also advised students on future exchange programs to be "more cautious."

"NOC students have been given a whole series of briefings on safety, even during their free time," she said.

"All students should think about safety first," she added. "It's good they should have a chance to do all the normal things, (but) there will always be things they have to be careful with."

Thayalan believes "NUS has done its utmost to support, to help (the students involved in the accident), not only for the family, but also for the other two families still there."

She added that FoS has set up "a website inviting people to put in condolences and convey messages to the family."

NUS students in Singapore were also encouraged by the dean's office of FoS to observe a minute of silence before each lecture today in memory of the deceased student.

Links: http://137.132.66.26/perl/condolences/hueiching.pl

Thai walk-out mars National Stadium swansong

Thu, 1 Feb 2007 17:04:26 +0800

By Clement Tan

Three goals, a partisan 55,000 capacity crowd for the second time in four days, a controversial penalty, a walkout by the opposing team and Singapore's first competitive win in regulation time over the Thais for 30 years.

One could not have hoped for a more dramatic finale for the National Stadium than Singapore's 2-1 victory over Thailand in the first leg of this year's ASEAN Football Championships final last night.

The class of 2007 not only ended a 30-year-old purple patch since their predecessors defeated the Thais 2-0 in a World Cup qualifier in 1977, but also ensured the last match at Kallang ended as the first match did, a one goal margin of victory over the same opponents in Sept. 1973.

However last night's match-up was marred by the Thai team's walk-out after Malaysian referee C. Ravichandran had awarded the home side a penalty after a challenge by Niweat Siriwong on Noh Alam Shah in the 82nd minute.

The referee's decision was met with derision by the Thai players, with Nirut Surasiang even seen on television replays to have physically nudged the referee in protest.

They only eventually ended their protest after 15 minutes at the intervention of their team manager Thatvachai Sajakul.

Singapore midfielder Mustafic Fauruddin then promptly stood up, ahead of Singapore's regular penalty-taker and competition top-scorer, Noh Alam Shah, and promptly dispatched the penalty to hand the defending champions a slender one-goal margin ahead of the return leg in Bangkok on Sunday.

The coach of the Thai national football team later refused to comment on the farcical sequence of events in his 10-second appearance at the post-match press conference last night.

"Our comment today is that we have no comment. You can see everything that happened on the field, so we have no comment today," said Chanvit Polochivin.

"We just wanted to make our point, that we have been cheated," Thai team manager Thavatchai later told The Straits Times, adding that he would lodge a protest with the ASEAN Football Federation against the referee.

Local organising committee chairman Mohammed Muzzammil also told ESPNsoccernet the AFF will be investigating the matter before commenting further.

"We will wait for the match commissioner to submit his report," he said. "The AFF will then discuss the matter before determining if any further action should be taken."

The events in the final minutes of the game marred an otherwise exciting match in which the home side made their intent known right from the onstart with their robust approach.

Barely five seconds after the kick-off, Thai star midfielder Datsakorn Thonglao set an apparent precedent when he took a tumble after being hustled by Noh Alam Shah in the middle of the pitch.

The Thais seemed to fall regularly at almost every Singaporean challenge in the first half.

At one point in the opening 15 minutes, Thailand was playing with only nine men on the pitch, with two players receiving treatment for minor knocks off the pitch.

Singapore's physical approach to the game saw the Malaysian referee flashing four yellow cards in the first period, three to Singapore, and seven in total for the match.

Yet despite their fiery start, it was against the run of play when Singapore took the lead in the 19th minute. Noh Alam Shah latched onto a rebound from close range that landed at his feet after Thai defenders have blocked Indra Shadan Daud's initial two attempts at goal and a third shot by Fahrudin.

While Singapore's aggresiveness might have succeeded in unsettling their opponents in the first half, the second half told a vastly different story as they scored with just about their first sniff at goal.

Surasing's through-ball might have come after Khairul Amri was nudged off the ball, but there is no doubting the quality of the pass that prised open the Singapore defence.

Pipat Thongkanya promptly rounded Singaporean keeper Lionel Lewis to equalise for the Thais barely four minutes after the restart. The 23-year-old striker was only in the starting eleven because talismanic Thai captain Kiatisuk Senamuang is injured.

Eight minutes from the end however, mayhem struck when the Thai coach was seen gesturing his players off the pitch after the fateful penalty decision.

"I don't know what the Thai coach was doing and what game he was playing, but this is sport," said Singapore coach Radojko Avramovic. "If a walk-out is staged just because of referees' mistakes, many games would have to be called off."

While Avramovic admitted he did not manage to have a clear view of the incident that led to the referee's penalty call, he said mistakes happen in football.

"Nobody can be perfect," said the Serbian who masterminded Singapore's victory in the 2005 edition of this competition. "I'm always angry, it may be very questionable, but that's football."

Still, Avramovic still thinks his Singapore side fully deserved their win and suggested the penalty was "pay back" for the many fouls they suffered that went by unnoticed by the referee.

"They have been using their hands on the pitch," he said. "We suffered foul after foul, so the penalty was punishment enough."

Last night's events coupled with the recent cooling of political ties between both countries might have set up a tantalising second-leg match-up in Bangkok, but Avaramovic remains unfazed and focused on the task at hand.

"It doesn't matter if we win 2-0 or 2-1, you've still got to score goals," he said, adding "whatever happens on the terrace is something for somebody else to control."

Woman knocked down on campus

Tue, 30 Jan 2007 14:13:38 +0800

By Michelle Chen

A woman in her mid-twenties was hit by an oncoming lorry along lower Kent Ridge Road on Monday at around 6.40 p.m.

Mani Raj, a Campus Security officer who later arrived at the scene of the accident, said the woman is an employee of local telecom provider Singtel and mans a Singtel counter at the student service centre located at Yusof Ishak House.

Raj's colleague, Chew Sek Kai, said Campus Security is unable to reveal the woman's name.

The lorry driver, who declined to be named, said he was driving to his construction site on campus, heading in the direction of the Faculty of Science, when the young woman crossed the road nearest to the tennis courts towards the road along Ridge View Residences.

"I do not know why she rushed out. She got emotional and just crossed the road. She just ran across," he said.

According to the driver, the Singtel employee was having a conversation with her friend before the accident happened. He said he tried to brake but it was too late.

The driver called the ambulance after the staff was knocked down. She was lying one meter away from the vehicle, the driver said.

"From what we have gathered and according to eye witnesses, (the driver) was not going fast," Chew said.

Radman Khan, another Campus Security officer, also said although the Singtel employee was conscious and did not suffer any visible injuries after being knocked down, she complained of a back injury.

"She sustained neck pain and hurt the left side of her hip when the lorry knocked into her," Chew added.

According to Raj, the ambulance took about 15 minutes to arrive at the scene and the woman was sent to the emergency ward at the National University Hospital.

The accident caused traffic congestion outside Ridge View Residences.

Benjamin Ng, a freshman from FoS, was on the A1 bus heading towards the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences when the bus got stuck in the traffic jam.

"I could not see the person at all, (but) there was someone kneeling there beside the person giving attention," Ng said.

At press time, The Observer was told that Campus Security has yet to receive information from NUH about the condition of the woman.

"I am unable to reveal more information because this is a police case and (revealing more) would be unfair as it would jeopardize the investigation," Khan further explained.

The masterpiece that should not be

Sun, 28 Jan 2007 14:16:46 +0800

Movie Review
By Dennis Nilsson

"A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself from within."

Director Mel Gibson's latest film "Apocalypto" comes steeped in blood, controversy and promises of originality, but its storyline really does not stray far from classical Hollywood formulae, making it a tad too predictable and disappointing.

Set in southern Mexico in the time before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadores, "Apocalypto" is a first for Hollywood, with its use of the pre-colonial Mayan civilization as the backdrop for its story.

Gibson has chosen to work with unknown Mexican and Native American actors, many of which are new to being in front of a camera. Along with the use of the Yucatec Mayan language, the film is given a good measure of authenticity and ambition.

Rudy Youngblood plays Jaguar Paw, a Mayan tribesman, who is taken prisoner along with fellow members of his tribe by a group of slave traders. He manages to hide his pregnant wife and son in an empty well before being captured.

The prisoners are led through the jungle to a major city where decadence and illness prevail.

They arrive in the midst of a human sacrificial ceremony, where the captives are meant to be the next ones to surrender their lives. Jaguar Paw manages to avoid this fate and escapes.

Before escaping back into the jungle, Jaguar Paw kills the son of Zero Wolf (Raoul Trujillo), the leader of the slave traders, and races back to save his wife and son with the slave traders hot on his heels.

The film is thoroughly gripping all the way through, lacking nothing in pace, action and intensity.

Unfortunately, this grip comes with a price.

As the film progresses, the promise of originality and ambition fades into the background with the film evolving into a classic cat-and-mouse chase.

Other cliches also rear their heads during "Apocalypto," such as one-dimensional characters that are either overly good or overly bad. There is not much left for the audience to judge.

This film not only veers toward conventions but also becomes a bit of a letdown following the originality displayed during the first part of the film.

It is also a crying shame that Gibson ventures into the world of the pre-colonial Mayas but fails to follow through on the civilization it portrays - as the title and opening quote would otherwise have the viewer believe.

It seems as if the director has lost some of the courage he showed in "The Passion of the Christ."

As for the historical inaccuracies and anachronisms the film has been criticised for, they are beside the point. It is a motion picture, not a documentary or a historical reconstruction. Artists allow themselves to stray from historical facts all the time.

At the end of the day, it is a very entertaining 139 minutes.

Fans of the epic sword-and-sandals style of drama would certainly be delighted with the film's grand scenes, awe-inspiring scenery and gory fights.

The level of blood and violence in it is easily on par with that in the director's former films "Braveheart" and "The Passion of the Christ."

For those hardy enough, however, the amazing choreography and setting alone are worth the ticket to the cinema.

Had the director only stayed the course from the first half of the film and weeded out some of the cliches, "Apocalypto" could have been a masterpiece.

Kallang Roar propels Lions to final

Sun, 28 Jan 2007 02:32:40 +0800

By Kenneth Lee

The Kallang Roar was resurrected at the National Stadium on Saturday evening.

The capacity crowd witnessed Singapore come back from a goal down to draw level and proceeding to qualify for the final by beating Malaysia 5-4 on penalty kicks.

With the local media lamenting the lack of support during the group-stage games, Singapore fans turned up in droves, despite a live telecast of the game and the threat of rain.

Throughout the game, the Kallang Wave made countless laps around the stadium. Even the unmistakable air-horns made their return.

And the 55,000-strong crowd undoubtedly played a part in motivating the Lions when Malaysia took an unexpected lead in the 57th minute through midfielder Eddy Helmi Abd Manan.

Singapore eventually drew level on 74 minutes when Muhd Ridhuan Bin Muhd bundled the ball home from close range.

The crowd also proved to be the decisive factor during the spot kicks.

While every Singapore kick-taker was greeted with vociferous cheers and applause, boos and taunts greeted every Malaysian player.

The pressure eventually told when the Malaysians' Mohd Khyril Muhymeen missed the final mandatory spot kick to give Singapore a spot in the final. His weak shot was easily saved by Singapore custodian Lionel Lewis.

Both coaches also acknowledged the effect the crowd had on the game.

Speaking at the post-match conference, Malaysian coach Norizan Bakar commended his team for putting up a courageous display of football in such a hostile atmosphere.

"My boys played their hearts out," Bakar said. "It was a brave effort, especially in front of the Kallang Roar."

His Singaporean counterpart Raddy Avramovic also paid tribute to the sell-out crowd, saying their support was crucial as his side went in search of the equalizer.

"It was very nice to see and hear that the crowd was still supporting us even after we went behind," Avramovic said. "This gives the players the belief that they can count on their support no matter what."

And it seems Singapore fans cannot wait for the next game that will be played at the National Stadium.

Oh Zongbo, a self-proclaimed die-hard Singapore supporter, said he is very much looking forward to the final.

"It's been a long time since I last felt such an electrifying atmosphere (in the stadium)," said Oh, also a recent NUS graduate. "I will definitely be here for the final, no matter which team qualifies."

Singapore will face Thailand in the two-legged final, who defeated Vietnam 2-0 on aggregate in the other semi-final. Singapore will host the first leg on Jan. 31, with the return on Feb. 4 in Bangkok.

Too early to link odd weather to global warming

Fri, 26 Jan 2007 22:10:15 +0800

By Adrianne Jeffries

Although climate change due to global warming has become generally accepted as fact, there is no proven link between Singapore's recent odd weather and global warming.

According to professors from the geography department at NUS, Singapore's recent weather is a result of El Nino, the phenomenon of cyclical warming of the Pacific Ocean. In an online Frequently-Asked-Questions feature about El Nino, USA Today writes that these warming cycles, which produce extreme weather, occur every two to seven years.

In recent months, Singapore has received above-average rainfall and haze. According to the National Environment Agency, last month was the wettest December ever recorded since recording of rainfall started in 1869.

There is also speculation that 2007 will be the country's hottest year on record.

Some international climate scientists predict that large-scale ecological disruptions are the result of the interaction between El Nino and global warming, which is due to the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. However, the NUS geography professors caution that there is no solid evidence for this yet.

"The scientific consensus at the moment is that we can't prove a definite link between global warming and El Nino," said Dr. David Higgit from the department.

"What we suspect is that there might be a link between global warming and the strength of El Nino," he added.

Global warming and El Nino both cause increases in sea surface temperatures, which could affect the atmosphere and wind systems that determine regional weather.

"This is certainly an important topic which needs further exploration," said Dr. Matthias Roth, also from the department of geography.

Roth added that there is insufficient data to attribute the recent odd weather in Singapore to global warming.

The professor was traveling at press time and sent his comments by email.

"In the absence of any detailed study on the historical climate during the last 100 years or so, however, it is impossible to say anything about the statistical significance of these events or if they have become more frequent," Roth wrote in an email.

While scientists do not agree on the cause of the recent unusual weather, there is more agreement about the long-term impacts of global warming in Singapore. They include the slow rise of mean annual temperatures and the rise of sea level.

By 2100, global temperatures are projected to rise by 1.4 to 5.8 degrees. According to the Third Assessment Report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, mean sea levels are also projected to rise by nine to 88 cm.

The Ministry of Environment and Water Resources has also warned that, besides increased energy demand and heat stress, Singapore could experience land loss and flooding as well as disruptions in water resources, island and marine biodiversity. The Ministry added that, even though it cannot be confirmed if those changes would be due solely to climate change, they might be aggravated by it.

While experts are unable to come up with a proven explanation about recent weather changes, one thing can be confirmed.

According to Higgitt, judging from the views of his first-year students, there is an increasing acceptance of the phenomenon of global warming. This reflects a general trend toward mainstreaming the global warming theory.

"Three years ago, I could predict that about a-third of the class would be skeptical," he said, adding that now the vast majority of his students believe global warming is occurring.

"Maybe global warming is a natural process, but human activities speed it up," said Huang Xiaoyun, a second-year student from the School of Design and Environment. She is a current student in Higgitt's introductory geography class.

Wu Kan Xing, a first-year science student also in Higgitt's class, shared similar sentiments.

"I don't see how you can interpret industrialization in another way to say that it doesn't affect climate change," he said.

Singapore seemed to agree with that idea when it acceded to the Kyoto Protocol in April 2006. The Kyoto protocol imposes emissions standards aimed at reducing the world's net carbon dioxide emissions until 2012. Its policies came into effect in February 2005.

Jeffries is a student from the College of Williams and Mary in Virginia, USA. She is currently on exchange in NUS and an intern at The Campus Observer.

NUS students involved in car accident in Pennsylvania

Fri, 26 Jan 2007 22:06:31 +0800

By Brian Higgs

A group of five NUS students attending the NUS Overseas Colleges programme in Bio Valley, Philadelphia, were involved in a traffic accident near the American county on Sunday at midnight EST.

The students are from the July 2006 and January 2007 cohorts of the programme. Their names were not made available at press time.

Leia Thayalan, head of media relations at NUS, said the students were on their way back to Philadelphia from their weekend break when the accident occurred.

According to Thayalan, the car that the students were driving in skidded on an icy road and was later hit by another vehicle.

The driver and front passenger suffered minor injuries while the three passengers in the rear seat sustained serious injuries. All were brought immediately to the nearest hospital and later moved to the University of Pennsylvania hospital after their conditions had stabilized, Thayalan said.

Thayalan added that the two students sitting in the front seats of the vehicle are "now fine."

"They don't have any major injuries. They don't need to be hospitalized," she said. "But they might still be affected by this."

However, the other three students in the car during the accident are still at the University of Pennsylvania hospital.

"Their condition is stable," Thayalan said. "They're going through medical treatment, operations, to get them back to speedy recovery."

Thayalan also said NUS staff based in the United States were on hand to take care of the situation when it occurred.

"They were specially deployed to go across to take care of the students," she said.

Meanwhile, NUS staff in Singapore only received news of the accident on Monday due to the time difference between the United States and Singapore.

Thayalan said NOC has already managed to contact the parents of the students involved and arranged for them to fly to the United States.

"Locally what NOC did was notify the parents of the affected students and help them to make their arrangements to Philadelphia as soon as possible," she said.

The parents of the students left for the American county on Jan. 23.

"(The) director of NUS Overseas Colleges, Associate Professor Teo Chee Leong, and NUS counselors flew up as well to help the parents and students there," Thayalan added.

A cry for decency

Fri, 26 Jan 2007 21:59:58 +0800

By Linda M. Perry

By the time you read this, Iwuchkwu Amara Tochi will be dead. I am writing this on the eve of his execution, scheduled for the break of day on Jan. 26. He is 21 and was only 19 when he was sentenced to die. He is younger than my children and many of my students. I will not sleep tonight.

Tochi was convicted under Singapore's Misuse of Drugs Act with transporting 727.02 grams of heroine into Singapore. The judge who convicted Tochi reportedly acknowledged doubt about whether Tochi actually knew he was carrying heroine.

Amnesty International reports that the verdict read, "There was no direct evidence that he knew the capsules contained diamorphine [heroin]. There was nothing to suggest that Smith (who gave Tochi the pills to transport) had told him they contained diamorphine, or that [Tochi] had found that out of [sic] his own."

That, in the parlance of mature criminal justice systems, is reasonable doubt - doubt that Tochi, a citizen of Nigeria, knowingly violated this law.

Does it matter whether there is reasonable doubt as to Tochi's guilt or innocence?

Ask James Waller.

Waller, 50, spent nearly 11 years in a Texas prison and another 14 on parole for a rape he did not commit. Reasonable doubt was raised but ignored during his trial in 1982. Last week, he was exonerated by DNA testing, the 12th person since 2001 in Dallas County, Texas, alone to be found innocent after a flawed trial.

DNA testing has revealed that many U.S. states have had too many wrongful convictions, including more than 100 on death row. This has happened in a country with high constitutional barriers to wrongful convictions - the most important of those barriers being the presumption of innocence.

The very real risk of wrongful convictions casts a poignant light on Singapore's use of the presumption of guilt in death penalty cases. Reasonable doubt is not a factor when the accused is presumed guilty.

Amnesty International reports that Singapore is believed to have the highest per capita execution rate in the world. Most of the more than 420 people executed since 1991 were killed for drug-trafficking convictions, and a significant number were foreign nationals.

The United Nations Special Rapporteur Philip Alston has called for a worldwide abolition of the death penalty for drug-related offenses. He also said the government of Singapore has tried to suppress public debate about its use of the death penalty.

As countries of the world debate when or whether the death penalty is warranted in their societies, many apply the concept of "evolving standards of decency." These societies debate what crimes are so heinous that anyone who commits them is beyond redemption and should be killed by that society. They consider the age and mental capacity of the offender at the time of the offense. They consider mitigating circumstances that might call for mercy.

To be sure, many of these countries still use the death penalty. As their debates on its use continue, these societies may have a long way to go in their evolution toward decency. But tonight they are looking far, far ahead of Singapore.

Singapore argues that its use of the death penalty is an effective deterrent to drug trafficking. That assumption is surely debatable. But debate on this issue - and on balancing effectiveness with decency - has been lacking.

Iwuchkwu Amara Tochi, 21, is dead. Did the punishment fit his crime? Was it even a crime in the sense of criminal intent? Do the people of Singapore care?

I believe that the leaders of this young country so intent on "nation-building" listen to their people. Perhaps when enough people care enough to finally speak out on how and when people will be killed in their name, then the evolution toward decency can begin.

But tonight, I weep for Tochi, for his mother and his family - and for Singapore.

Linda M. Perry is a senior visiting fellow at NUS.

Sidebar

Tochi was hanged on Jan. 26 along with Okeke Nelson Malachy, 35, believed to be from South Africa. He had been convicted of abetting the commission of the offense, accused of being the intended recipient of the drugs. Although Malachy's conviction and sentence was publicized along with Tochi's, his execution caught me by surprise. Is this another case of taking our medicine sooner?

Time to pull the plug

Fri, 26 Jan 2007 21:54:17 +0800

Commentary
By Aaron Ng
Managing Editor (Production)

With the term of office of our students' union being a year, there is probably no place for NUSSU to be a key player in university policies and politics.

University policies and decisions are made for the long term, and such decisions can take a few years to deliberate. In order for NUSSU to participate meaningfully as a key stakeholder, the same student leaders must be involved from the start to the end.

This is seldom possible, since nobody can predict the results of the annual elections. If a new group of student leaders unfamiliar with existing deliberations of future university policies are elected, parachuting them into the discussions halfway is not helpful. Worse, because of lack of knowledge, the new student leaders might bring up topics that had already been dealt with by the previous group of student leaders, thus impeding the pace of the deliberations.

Further, NUSSU as a whole is forbidden from any form of political activity. Only the Political Association is allowed to carry out activities of a political nature, and even so, the definition of political activity is a grey area. A union that has no direct or indirect political clout is like a toothless tiger.

Given these constraints, the only way NUSSU can really make a difference to the lives of NUS undergraduates is through entertainment, lifestyle and charity events. However, it is questionable whether a students' union is necessary to organize such activities. Given that NUS has numerous societies and student interest groups, as well as the six residential halls' junior common room committees, there are more than enough organisations to meet the lifestyle needs of undergraduates.

Unless NUSSU is accorded sufficient clout to have some meaningful impact on university policies, there is perhaps no good reason for its existence. All the university needs to do in the absence of a students' union is to randomly select undergraduates for surveys or focus group discussions to seek student input before deciding on any policy. In fact, if proper statistical procedures are followed, the feedback obtained through random selection of students would be far more representative.

Unfortunately, it is unlikely that the current status quo will be disrupted. It would be a public relations catastrophe for a university ranked 19th in the world not to have a students' union. Even if it means putting the union on life support, it's better than having none. Perhaps this is the reason why in NUS, there is an ironical rule making it compulsory for every undergraduate to be a union member.

However, prolonged life support may not necessarily be the most merciful act. Perhaps it is time to consider pulling the plug.

Related commentaries:

Bridge the divide
The mysterious figure
Legal but illegitimate

CORS server unavailable due to series of technical glitches

Fri, 26 Jan 2007 02:36:04 +0800

By Belmont Lay

The root of the instability of the Centralised Online Registration System during the module-bidding period for the current semester had nothing to do with the system itself.

In an official explanation sent via email to The Observer, on behalf of the NUS Registrar's Office, senior manager Sitoe Yew Kok said a series of technical glitches caused the unavailability of the CORS server.

The first of such glitches was a data entry problem in another application "totally unrelated to CORS." This led to overloading on the system infrastructure that hosts the system, Sitoe explained.

No elaboration on the data entry problem was given.

According to Sitoe, CORS was "in fact" not overloaded throughout the entire bidding exercise.

"Students who made their bids on campus could get a response for each transaction within 0.5 seconds," he wrote in the email.

However, not all students used computers on campus to bid for their modules during CORS bidding round 1A, when the online system first became unstable. This bidding period began on Dec. 27 last year, 12 days before the start of the new school semester.

Students who had not returned to campus to use the university's computers had difficulties bidding for modules because they were not able to access the CORS server.

Sitoe said the Registrar's Office presented its explanation about the CORS server problems at a meeting with the NUS Students' Union. The meeting took place on Thursday.

The office has also since given NUSSU a full report on the breakdown of the CORS server.

There has been no official word from NUSSU on the matter.

Hygiene not a problem at Megabites

Thu, 25 Jan 2007 22:16:53 +0800

By Lee Wan Yi

The idea of dining in a makeshift eatery set up in a car park may not appeal to those particular about cleanliness but vendors in Megabites assure customers that hygiene standards are being maintained at their stalls.

Megabites vendors interviewed by The Observer said they have been taking precautions to maintain hygiene standards established by the National Environmental Agency.

Megabites, which is located in car park 16, was set up following the temporary closure of the canteen at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. The makeshift food outlet opened on Jan. 8, when the school semester started.

"(NEA) came before the first week of school to make sure that things were all right. So far the only regulations were that flammable cooking is not allowed and also to use gloves when handling food," said Kenneth Cheong, the business development manager of Megabites.

He added that, since the opening of Megabites, there have been no complaints from patrons about unhygienic food or any reported cases of food poisoning.

Stall vendors seemed to be doing their part in following hygiene standards at the eatery when The Observer visited Megabites on Tuesday. They washed their hands with water being supplied by a pipe, which is located next to the eatery and runs from the main building.

Meanwhile, the disposable plates and utensils provided for customers' use are kept in a container next to the cashier.

A check with S.A. Tan, who is in charge of Megabites during weekdays, further revealed that the steel trays used to contain the food are collected and sent back to headquarters to be washed daily.

Cheong also said any food that has dropped onto the floor is immediately cleared away using hot water.

However, the physical hygiene of Megabites is not the only thing the management of the eating outlet is concerned about.

Vendors have also been careful to ensure the freshness of their food, Cheong said. According to the business development manager, all leftover food is discarded.

Fellow manager Tan also vouched for the quality of food served at Megabites.

He said perishables such as vegetables are kept in a chiller while warmers are used to keep the cooked food warm "so that people can enjoy fresh food."

According to Tan, the use of warmers was implemented following feedback, which was received during the first week of operations, that the vegetables served on site were cold.

"We try our best to listen and learn from feedback. We're in it for the long-term after all." Cheong said in response.

According to Cheong, for now, the main problem faced by Megabites comes in the form of small ants but a solution has been sought.

"We've engaged a pest control company to come once a week to help maintain the cafe pest-free," Cheong said.

The efforts of the Megabites crew seem to have paid off.

Kurien S.K, a fourth-year life sciences student, said he felt the food served at the eating outlet has been "decent" and has no qualms dining there again.

Other students interviewed by The Observer were less concerned about the hygiene standards at Megabites than they were with the quality of food served at the eatery.

"The food is clean enough but I would like to see more variety," said Ling Peishan, a second-year political science major.

Lee is fourth-year literature major and an intern with The Campus Observer.

Revenge on the minds of Lions

Tue, 23 Jan 2007 11:24:37 +0800

By Kenneth Lee

Revenge will definitely be on the minds of the Singapore players as they approach their ASEAN Football Championship, formerly known as the Tiger Cup, first leg semi final match against Malaysia tonight.

"In the 2002 Tiger Cup, we were whacked 4-0 by Malaysia and I think that result is still on the minds of some fans," said Singapore skipper, Aide Iskandar who played in that humiliating defeat at the National Stadium.

"But this is a new time and a new era," he added. "This is a team with character."

With more than a place in the final at stake, the animosity between both teams has started to boil even before a ball is kicked.

Local newspaper Today reported that the Lions arrived in Shah Alam on Sunday morning greeted by a whole host of logistical hiccups.

The team bus was too small to sit the whole contingent and there was no vehicle to transfer the team's equipment to their hotel. A fully booked hotel meant they had to wait before they could check-in.

Singapore coach Raddy Avramovic said the problems his team faced were "ridiculous."

"I really wonder how Malaysia are going to host the Asian Cup later this year, if they cannot even get basic things like transportation needs for the teams right," he said. "This is not a way to host an international tournament."

Malaysia had qualified for the semi-finals despite losing its last round-robin match against Thailand.

Speaking to reporters after the loss to Thailand, Malaysian midfielder Mohd Shukor Adan said to lose and yet still qualify for the semi-finals was "unbelievable."

"I really could not describe how I feel," he said. "I really thought that we lost out when we could not find the equaliser against Thailand but I suppose football can be strange sometimes."

The Malaysians will definitely not be counting on Lady Luck to smile on them twice. According to Today, striker Hairuddin Omar is rallying the team to "invoke the spirit of 2002," the year that Malaysia embarrassed Singapore 4-0 at the National Stadium.

"If we manage to focus for the 90 minutes, we will have a good chance," he said. "If everyone plays their part, I think we have a good chance of making the final."

The return leg will be played on Jan. 27 at the National Stadium. The victor will play the winner of the other semi-final between Thailand and Vietnam in a similar two-legged final on Jan. 31 and Feb. 2.

Borat - the elusive 'Other'

Mon, 22 Jan 2007 22:31:15 +0800

Commentary
By Amanda Zhang
Perspective Editor

Sacha Baron Cohen, the creator, actor and producer of the movie "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan," has managed to truly befuddle the masses with his outrageous antics. It is perhaps even more outrageous that he is also getting away with it, award in hand.

At the Golden Globes 2007, Cohen received a nod from critics by walking away with the award for best actor in a comedy or musical.

Cohen's controversial mock documentary features the British comedian posing as a Kazakhstan reporter who goes to America to find out more about its culture. Along the way, he sets out to marry Pamela Anderson and disastrous real-life interviews and encounters occur. Needless to say, the movie was far from a typical blockbuster.

So why has this spoof Kazakhstan reporter earned his place in the industry?

For me, it is Cohen's way of exploring the elusive notion of the "Other," which has plagued and haunted almost all societies in the world.

Everywhere around the world, a cultural, racial or religious minority is bound to exist. Once encountered, the human instinct is then to panic or to react unnaturally. Though Cohen specifically targets America as his subject matter in the movie, the surfacing of fears and stereotypes towards an alien culture is one that anyone can relate to.

Speaking to several people in NUS who watched the movie, I found more answers to the enigma of Cohen's shot to critical fame.

Tim Gorman, a student from the United States doing his master's in the Southeast Asia department, called the movie a critique of the ignorance of American society and cultural relativism.

"I was really surprised that people believed that Borat was a real character. It shows the stereotypes which the Americans have towards different races, like people from Kazakhstan. Some people don't even know that it is a country."

In the movie, Americans are shown to have mostly two types of reactions towards Borat: they would either recoil in fear or politely accept the man they presume to be backward because of his nationality.

Gorman shared his view on these two varying responses.

"I think that it is both xenophobia and the flip side of cultural tolerance. People either show open hostility or go all out of the way to tolerate other races to the extent that it becomes a farce."

Several others who watched the movie were also surprised at the almost inexhaustible patience the Americans displayed for Borat's daring stunts. The antics included pretending to accidentally break items in a china shop and offering pubic hair to the shopkeepers as way of compensation.

Eisen Teo, a second-year history major, said he was surprised that Cohen did not get beaten up.

"I think that if I were in the situation, I would have gotten angry. Some gags really went too far," Teo said. He was referring to the scene of Borat making fun of the American National Anthem in a rodeo live in front of an American crowd.

Instead of singing the anthem with the original lyrics, Cohen sings a spoof version, claiming to have substituted its lyrics with words from the Kazakhstan national anthem.

It seems then that politeness then becomes a reflex rather than an expression of a true and deeper understanding of a different race, religion or culture. One form of this politeness is perhaps "political correctness" - when one desires not to offend or cross boundaries to adhere to the norm.

A good example of this would be a scene from the movie in which Borat offers an American politician some cheese. The politician accepts it and eats it, appearing to enjoy it.

Then Borat quickly tells him that the cheese is made of his wife's breast milk and the expression on the politician's face changes to that of subdued disgust and horror. But, the politician consumes the dairy product nonetheless.

In response to this, Diego Fossati, an Italian master's student in the political science department said, "People are getting tired of being politically correct. The movie is definitely not part of the mainstream, which is why it appeals to many who watch it. "

Fossati is right.

"Borat" is, for the first time perhaps, a movie that openly tests and breaks down the diplomatic and accommodating front that we are so often taught to employ. Outrageous and daring, Cohen tries different jokes and pranks to test Americans.

It is hard to forget scenes such as Borat masturbating in public while gazing at a mannequin or defecating in front of the Trump Towers.

Rachel Chia, a third-year English language major, said she felt guilty laughing at the pranks.

"There were some jokes which were crude. Yet, you could not help laughing because of the frankness of it some of it."

Lim Hui, another third-year English language major, also found herself to be torn between two responses.

"At times I found the jokes just plain disgusting, but I have to say that Cohen is brilliant. He has captured the real ugly side of human nature," Lim said.

Though Lim found the movie a hyperbole illustration of cultural tensions, she said Borat was able to bring out the deeper, uglier, side of the human psyche.

Lim and Chia's responses highlighted the ugly tendency for people to stereotype and judge - tendencies that the Americans in the film only revealed when their guard was let down. In the movie, Borat elicits warm responses from Americans when he insults gays, uses violence to describe the Iraqis and calls women "slaves."

It is clear that the concept of the "Other" is not applied to nationality alone. So what does one do when faced with the "Other"?

I think that it is pertinent that we examine our innermost consciousness to weed out unfounded prejudices that hinder real and meaningful relationships from developing.

Maintaining a distance with a diplomatic "just smile" attitude will get us nowhere.

The crux lies in treating the "Other" like a human being and not an alien. When we finally realize that though different, we are able to relate to each other on an equal platform, the concept of the "Other" will no longer plague us.

In a religiously, culturally and racially diverse society such as Singapore, it is a valid concern that we learn to deal with differences in backgrounds and beliefs. Then, should another "Borat" comes into our midst, we will not allow our false notion of "Other" to blind us from recognizing who the person really is.

No resting on laurels for Arena judge

Mon, 22 Jan 2007 11:31:35 +0800

By Soh Yuan Ting

When one walks into the office of Seet Khiam Keong, one sees the reflection of the personality and life of this theatre studies lecturer through the room's tasteful decor - lush oriental-style couches and floor carpeting.

At one side, an array of books that fill a large bookshelf reveals Seet's well-read and informed nature.

Seet keeps himself updated about current affairs, especially when they concern the local arts scene. Given his fervent involvement in local theatre, it is hard to hear of any major theatre-related event without encountering his name in some way.

Even though many viewers may only know him as judge "K. K. Seet" on local television programme, "The Arena," Seet is no stranger to judging. He has adjudicated on numerous major competitions, such as TheatreWorks' 24-Hour Playwriting Competition and the Singapore Film Commission's Singapore Screenplay Competition.

Even with his vast judging experience, Seet admitted that judging for "The Arena" is "especially difficult" because he is always the first to speak and has little time to gather his thoughts.

"In fact I asked whether it's possible to do it on a rotational basis, like, maybe one week we start from left to right and maybe next time we start from right to left," he said.

However, according to Seet, the producers felt there was a need to observe an identifiable sequence in television programming.

"The point of it all, as the producers tell me, is to create a personality for the judges so that the audience would be able to know what sort of comment is likely to come from each judge and it gives them a sense of a rhythm," he explained.

The difficulties of being on the show do not end here.

According to Seet, the process of filming is a lengthy one, as the crew is expected to film five episodes back-to-back within a single weekend.

"We will finish the debate and then we will have half-an-hour to change our clothes so that it looks as if it's a different occasion. We go touch up our make up et cetera and then we go in again," he said.

Despite the difficulties, Seet said he recognizes the values that "The Arena" offers to its viewers. They include raising awareness about debating and rhetorical skills and placing an emphasis on speaking good English.

The theatre studies lecturer added that he was impressed by the "verbal dexterity of the 15 and 16-year-olds" featured in the programme.

"It hones their presentational skills so that they won't get ruffled under pressure," said Seet, adding that contestants have to contend with the "intimidating" programme format.

"In the old days, you'll always have the safety of your own little panel which you sit behind with your blazer and all that. There was a sufficient distance," he said.

"But now you are actually speaking face to face with your opponent and at any point in time, they can just press the button to give you a point of information to interrupt you. So that's where strategy is also very important," he said, with added admiration for the young contestants.

Apart from juggling between teaching and playing judge on "The Arena", Seet spends most of his evenings attending plays, as it helps him to "kill two birds with one stone",

"I go in my capacity as a grant assessor to see how the money has been spent," said Seet, who chairs the Grants committee and the selection panel for the Cultural Medallion and Young Artist of the Year Awards in Theatre.

"But I also go there to assess the performance and the production of the Life! Theatre Awards," said Seet, who also serves as a judge for The Straits Times ' Life! Theatre Awards.

When asked about the one thing he had always wanted to do in life, Seet's reply did not veer far from the entertainment business.

"Somebody had suggested that I should seriously consider hosting a talk show, inviting a couple of celebrity guests probably, similar to the Oprah Winfrey kind of show. I would like to do something very social topical," he said.

However, he added that there are bound to be problems involved, especially with issues of delicacy. "It is important to get the format right."

Soh Yuan Ting is an intern with The Campus Observer.

Raising fees the lesser evil

Mon, 22 Jan 2007 11:28:14 +0800

Commentary
By Aaron Ng
Managing Editor (Production)

The government announced last month that in the future, international students would have to pay more fees than local students.

Does this mean an actual increase in the cost of education for all international undergraduate students in future? The answer is, probably not.

Only international students who are not under any scholarship and choose not to accept the tuition grant offered by the Ministry of Education will be affected by the change. International students will enjoy the same amount of tuition grant as local students as long as they are willing to work in Singapore for three years after graduation.

In fact, it is unlikely that future international students will be adversely affected. The current full fees payable for an international student who chooses not to take up the MOE tuition grant is about S$20,000 for a non-lab based course. At University of California, Berkeley, tuition fees cost about S$28,000 for international students.

If NUS increases its tuition fee for international students, there will be little difference in terms of fees between UC Berkeley, ranked 8th in the latest Times Higher Education Supplement World University rankings, and NUS, who is ranked 19th in the same rankings. It is only logical for a prospective international student intending to pay full fees to pick UC Berkeley rather than NUS.

Therefore, there should be few future international students who will be adversely affected by the upcoming fee increases, because there are better alternatives. International students enrolling in NUS in the future are most likely either to be scholarship recipients or recipients of the MOE tuition grant.

In essence, the government's announcement has little implications in reality for international students, unless there is a corresponding decrease in scholarships as well as the amount of MOE tuition grant given to international students.

However, the announcement is an excellent political move. With more and more Singaporeans voicing concerns about competition from foreign talents, the government cannot ignore the issue without paying a political price.

By announcing a fee increase for international students and continuing to make scholarships and the MOE tuition grant available for international students, the government got the best of both worlds - a more pacified populace without sacrificing its foreign-talent policies.

Of course, the plan is not perfect. News of the impending increase is bound to travel quickly and prospective international students who are not well-informed might be turned off from coming to Singapore for an education.

The imperative task would be to allay unfounded fears of prospective international students. It is probably not an easy task but, compared to an increasingly unhappy populace over the government's foreign-talent policy, it is perhaps the lesser evil.

Muse trio impressed Singapore

Fri, 19 Jan 2007 21:50:01 +0800

By Ivy Lam

Fans queued up as early as 6.30a.m. at Fort Canning on Tuesday to catch English rock band Muse perform for the first time in Singapore even though the concert was not slated to start until 8 p.m.

In usual rock band fashion, the trio, which comprises of front man Matthew Bellamy, drummer Dominic Howard and bassist Chris Wolstenholme, arrived late and took to the stage at 8.30p.m.

However, the band was quick to thrill the crowd, opening with the track "Knights of Cydonia," which is taken off its latest album "Black Holes and Revelations."

Soon, everything got into a flurry.

At only two verses into the song, audience members were bodysurfing and ice cubes were being thrown around, the latter leaving Bellamy's white t-shirt drenched.

The crowd's enthusiasm only heated up the lead singer's performance.

Throughout the one-and-a-half-hour long event, Bellamy masterfully alternated between the piano and guitar to introduced older hits such as "Newborn" and "Bliss," while Howard and Wolstenholme backed up the seconds that Bellamy took to switch between instruments.

"I was quite impressed and Bellamy is more talented than I imagined," said Tan Sze Li, an audience member and student from the University of London.

The show climaxed when Muse returned to stage after a short break backstage with the band's latest hit "Starlight." With its uplifting beats, the song steers away from the dark style of most of Muse's compositions and has been well-received by the masses.

The reaction of the audience at Fort Canning only attested to this. Bellamy had only to lead the first verse and the crowd was clapping enthusiastically along to the unique beats of the song.

Sam Ho, a third-year NUS communications and new media student, admitted he was surprised at the size of the crowd at the concert. He said he had expected a 3,000-strong crowd.

"Muse's genre itself isn't very appealing to mainstream listeners," Ho said. "They have these classical music-inspired arranged numbers and they fuse songs with old school hard rock, which can be jarring for pop music listeners."

In a feature about the band, which was published on Tuesday, the Straits Times had reported that concert promoter had shifted a total of 6,500 tickets for the gig.

Michelle Foo, a third-year NUS student, was more supportive of the event.

"Since it's the first time they are here, I'm not surprised (that the concert was so well-received," she said. "Besides, there are many Muse fans around, due to the recent publicity."

The audience response at Tuesday's show was proof that Foo is right.

The venue gates had to be opened two hours before the start of the show as the queue had extended beyond the car park and onto the sides of the main road.

And if the crowd was expecting the musical prowess displayed by the band on their albums, it was likely they were not disappointed.

Ivy Lam is a student contributor. She is currently in her third-year as a communications and new media major at NUS.

Arts faculty food guide

Fri, 19 Jan 2007 21:37:43 +0800

By Winnie Lui, Kimberly Tan and Ng Chien Hao

Still mourning over the closure of The Deck? Have a lecture at arts faculty but you are clueless about where to go for lunch?

Since the beginning of the semester, temporary eating spots have been set up to accommodate the lunch crowd of The Deck. The new dining options include a temporary canteen, pushcarts and Eusoff dining hall.

Livin' gives you a tour of the new eating spots located in and around the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.

Temporary canteen - Megabites

Megabites is a make-shift canteen that hosts seven stores and offers a variety of halal food that includes noodle, chicken rice, western delights, nasi padang, fruits and beverages.

Catering company, Kriston, provides the food sold at Megabites. The catering company also serves the Singapore Institute of Management University.

Due to constraints, do not expect freshly cooked food to be served at Megabites.

"We are not allowed to cook (here) so most of our items are from SIM or our headquarters," said Ken Eng, supervisor for Megabites.

For first-timers, Eng recommends food from the "Hot Sandwiches" stall. According to Eng, the sandwiches from the stall are freshly made and the most popular sandwiches are the barbeque sandwich ($1.90), roast chicken sandwich ($1.90) and the southwest sandwich classics ($2.50 each).

The best part of the southwest sandwiches is the bread, which is focaccia-flavoured. This tasty treat comes with a choice of three fillings - Tuna Nemo, Megabite Club and Honey Mustard Chicken Roll.

Other sandwich selections, including egg mayo sandwich and tuna sandwich, are also available, with prices ranging between $1.50 and $1.90.

Another notable mention at Megabites is the popular "Special Western Delight" stall. According to Eng, popular items at the the stall include fish and chips, chicken chop and spaghetti.

Prices for the western dished range from $2.50 to $2.80.

Meanwhile, noodle lovers may be disappointed with the limited choices available at Megabites. The noodle store sells only one type of noodle dish daily so do look out for the daily specials.

Although the makeshift canteen begins operations at 8 a.m., most of the stores open after 11 a.m. The stores that open early serve mainly economic bee hoon and sandwiches.

Location: Car Park 16 (outside LT 11)
Operating hours:
Mondays to Fridays: 8 a.m. to 4.30 p.m.
Saturdays: 8 a.m. to 2.30 p.m.

Pushcarts

For students that are on-the-go, the pushcarts can be a convenient and novel solution to a getting a quick meal.

The Chuan Restaurant stall from The Deck is now serving its menu from a pushcart located opposite lecture theatre 14.

Currently, the Sichuan food stall has different menus for odd and even days of the week. Delights like the Sichuan pork ball rice are served on odd days, while twice-cooked pork belly rice and sauteed diced chicken with leek flower are available on even days.

All dishes are priced at $2.50.

Location: AS6 (opposite LT 14)
Operating hours:
Mondays to Fridays: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Those who have gotten used to snacking on a waffle during late afternoon lectures will find comfort in the aroma of freshly made waffles wafting along the AS6 walkway.

The "waffle stall," which earned its nickname with its highly popular waffles, has shifted business from The Deck to a pushcart. Judging by the long queues, the stall's popularity has not waned.

However, do not expect to find favourites such as economical bee hoon or soya beancurd this time around as the stall's menu has shrunk considerably. Even so, the pushcart still offers a good selection of waffles, breads, buns, dim sum and noodles, with prices ranging from $0.40 to $2.50.

Location: AS6
Operating hours:
Mondays to Fridays: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

This pushcart, located right outside leacture theatres 9 and 10 has a limited selection on its menu. It offers only Malay favourites mee siam ($1.20) and nasi lemak ($2), both of which are served in takeaway plastic boxes.

Location: AS1 (outside LT 9 and LT 10)
Operating hours:
Mondays to Fridays: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Eusoff dining hall

If you miss the food and dining ambience of The Deck, you might find solace in the Eusoff dining hall.

The popular Japanese cuisine and fruit & juice stalls are back in business at Eusoff Hall, all with their old signboards and menu intact. The staff manning the stalls is also decked out in its former "The Deck" uniforms and aprons.

The Japanese cuisine stall offers a wide selection of don, udon and teriyaki sets, including favourites such as teriyaki chicken, teriyaki salmon, tempura-don, katsu-don and una-don. Set meals that include a serving of miso soup, salad and fruits are also available.

Prices range from $3.50 to $4.00.

Location: Eusoff dining hall
Operating hours:
Mondays to Saturdays: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

While the renovated Deck will be a spacious two-storey dining area with air-conditioning, we will certainly find nostalgia in dining within the enclosure of the old Deck's rustic red brick walls.

In the meantime, bon appetite!

Heavy rains damage NUS property

Fri, 19 Jan 2007 21:20:26 +0800

By Alicia Wong

The recent heavy rains experienced across the country have taken a toll on NUS.

On Friday, staff of the Forum co-op discovered that the ceiling board of the multi-purpose store, which is located at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, had collapsed.

According to Jessica Lim, general manager of the NUS Multi-purpose Co-operative Society, the incident had occurred after closing time on Thursday.

The NUS Multi-purpose Co-operative Society runs all Co-operative stores in the university.

Lim said she suspects that rainwater had seeped through puncture holes in the cement ceiling of the store, thereby damaging the ceiling board and causing it to collapse.

Lim also said the incident resulted in some stationery items getting wet but the damage was "not so bad."

The Office of Estate and Development, which oversees the maintenance of campus facilities, tried to prevent further leakage by waterproofing the ceiling.

Lim called the OED "very responsive."

She said personnel from the unit arrived at the store immediately upon notification and followed up on the matter Tuesday. However, proper repairs to the roof can only take place during a drier season, she said.

The Co-operative was not the only place on campus affected by the weather.

According to Raymond Chua, senior manager of Project Planning and Implementation in OED, soil erosion of slopes was reported to have taken place at Yusof Ishak House and block S8 of the Faculty of Science. Reports of soil erosion at the latter venue came in on Dec. 27 last year while those about YIH are more recent.

In response to such reports, the slopes are now covered with canvas. Just as with the Co-op, repairs to damage caused by the soil erosion will have to wait till a drier season.

"We are in control," Chua said.

The OED manager explained that his office sends out a slope monitoring and stabilizing unit daily to inspect all slopes and drainage. There are also plans to hire a geotechnical consultant to assess the risk of soil erosion taking place on the slopes and to get the consultant to propose remedial action.

Chua said the environment is presently safe for students.

Ng Chuin Song, a fourth-year student from FASS, needs no assurance from Chua.

She called such incidents "unnecessary worries."

"It's just the rain's fault," she said.

Ong Poh Choo, a fourth-year student from the School of Design and Environment is equally unruffled by the incidents.

"(The slope at S8 is) barricaded so I don't see any problem," she said.

Gerrie Lim breaks new ground - again

Thu, 18 Jan 2007 21:56:10 +0800

Personal interview
By Dennis Nilsson

"Asian Values is a bunch of horse manure, and you can quote me saying that," says Gerrie Lim, the Singaporean author and journalist.

I am meeting a very outspoken and engaged Lim at a cafe in Holland Village to talk about his works and the peculiarities of his native country.

He has put his mouth just inches from the voice recorder on the table so that his remark goes unmistakably through. The state-promoted version of Asian essentialism apparently fails to impress Lim.

Having lived abroad, mostly in the United States, for the last 20 years, Lim says that he has more of an American mentality than a Singaporean one by now. This allows him to look at Singapore from an outside perspective while still retaining his inside knowledge of the place.

Followers of the Singaporean literary scene will probably know Lim primarily for his books on high society prostitution in Singapore ("Invisible Trade", 2004) and the American adult-movie industry ("In Lust We Trust", 2006), not exactly your run-of-the-mill publications in the city-state.

"In Lust We Trust" is his memoirs from 10 years of engagement as a reporter in the multi-million dollar porn industry, where he ended up more or less by coincidence after growing bored with music reviewing.

It is an intrepid voyage behind the cameras and the carnal on-screen displays and into the minds and motivations of the actors. It describes the anatomy of the industry and the whole business aspect of it.

It was in July 2006, when I first saw this book in an airport store in either Jakarta or Singapore, I honestly do not remember, that my curiosity was instantly aroused. I was not even aware that one could make a living as a porn business journalist. And this guy was from Singapore, of all places, a country where pornography is illegal!

Having read the first few pages of the book, I knew that he had just made it to the top spot on my list of Singaporeans I would like to talk to.

Success at home

In the 2004 publication "Invisible Trade," Lim becomes the first author to depict the nature and extent of escort services on offer in Singapore. It is a world that probably few people know exists here, while most people perhaps prefer to pretend it does not.

As controversial as the topics of Lim's books might be, his books are nevertheless meeting with good response in Singapore. According to Lim, the positive reactions are expressions of envy.

People tell him, "You're doing the kind of things that we don't have the guts to do," he says. "That's envy coming out of their own fear and paranoia."

In "In Lust We Trust," Lim relates everything in a very personal, honest and non-sensationalist way. He is deliberately using his own experiences to engage the reader, not sparing anyone, including himself.

"That is what people want to read," Lim says. It is all about providing for the reader, he adds.

He is not concerned with people judging him because of his interest in this line of business, or because he is open about his fondness for porn.

"They can say what they want. I don't care," he says. "I'd rather be thought about as someone who can write about sexuality in an intelligent way."

Apart from sexuality, the unifying thread between the two books is Lim's interest in a sub-culture. This will also be the case with his upcoming project, an ambitious book on "Asian sex culture."

"It's new ground for me," Lim says. It is the chance to do something that has never been done before that appeals to him, he says.

I can relate to that. Still, I wonder whether Lim has never had any moral inhibitions about his work. Does he not ever see things that he cannot accept?

"I like to observe things without judging," he says. "You can see things in a clearer way if you don't judge."

Into Exile

Lim is from a rather conservative home and refers to himself as the black sheep of the family. His years in a Catholic school only served to make him long for something completely different.

He moved to the United States, where he took his master's degree in print journalism, before engaging upon a career first as a rock critic and later as a writer for, among others, Penthouse magazine.

Once away from the strict moral codes and limitations on thought and actions in Singapore, he was in no hurry to return.

"I chose to stay [in the United States] because I like being in a place where you at least have the capacity to have a discussion, you know, an open discussion without being paranoid or being afraid of legal action because of saying something politically seditious. You know, I mean, give me a break! It still happens today," Lim says.

Lim says that he is not the only person who has left Singapore for such reasons. In fact, he knows a lot of people who left the country during the 1970s and 1980s and who do not want to come back, he says. The authoritarian state and the lack of basic freedoms mean that Singapore is losing some of her best people along the way, which is why out of every four citizens in Singapore today one is a foreigner, Lim says.

"People like me just got sick and left," he says.

Nowadays, the writer is living in Singapore part of the time when he is not abroad doing research for his upcoming project. But if he is unhappy with the circumstances in Singapore, why has he returned then?

"I'm voyeuristic by nature. I want to see what's going to happen," Lim replies. "Asia is still interesting to me, because there are a lot of stories here for a writer."

300 years

As for Singapore, Lim says he does see signs of change and opening up. At least the government is doing a token effort to that end in order to attract investment as well as foreign workers, Lim says.

"I'm not trying to put myself as the final arbiter of how people should live or how you should think. It's not for me to say," he says. But he has his opinions, and they do not always match with the popular outlook in Singapore.

He says that Singaporeans have learned to accept the status quo, because it feeds them.

"Where I come from culturally (United States), we don't think that way," Lim says. Personal liberty is very important, he says. "If you don't fight for this now, there'll be a day when someone will take it away from you."

"Whether this is going to be a free society in terms of what we expect a first-world country to be is questionable to me," Lim says, adding that he has friends who do not even want to come to Singapore because of what they have heard about the country.

As is immediately evident when talking to Lim or reading one of his works, dry humour is never far away. He even has his own Singapore joke. He says he usually tell people, "I think this country is going to be really great in about 300 years!" He laughs out loud and then adds, "It probably won't happen in my lifetime."

Underdogs Set to Challenge Favourites for IHG Crown

Thu, 18 Jan 2007 21:27:03 +0800

By Brian Higgs

The NUS Inter-Hall Games official opening ceremony was held in conjunction with the IHG Track Meet at the Sports and Recreation Centre Stadium on Jan. 3. This year's games have taken a twist with the other halls rising to the challenge set by traditional powerhouses Temasek Hall and Eusoff Hall.

While Sheares Hall managed to wrest the men's touch rugby gold from perennial favourites Eusoff Hall, the first time that Eusoff Hall has ever lost this particular event, Kent Ridge Hall came in second in both the men's and women's track competition.

Second-year computational biology major Zhang Mengqi from Kent Ridge Hall, believes that "better support could be one of the reasons we have been doing better."

"The track turnout was a lot better than previous years," she said. "Before matches, the sports secretary will send email and ask everyone to go down to support the team."

Zhang said residents in Kent Ridge Hall share the belief that hard work will lead to better rankings.

"In the overall ranking we're always third,"she said. "It kind of gives everybody hope that we can actually do better."

Fourth-year mechanical engineering student Alvin Ng said he does not think "it's a bad thing that there is more competition."

"Better players mean the games will be better," he added.

Ng has been a resident at Temasek Hall for the past four years. He is their softball captain for this campaign, continuing from last year's edition.

Eusoff Hall sports secretary Benjamin Ng also noticed that "there is a much more level playing field this year."

"The other halls have been a lot more careful about the freshmen they bring in," he said. "If you bring in talented freshmen it will increase the possibility of doing well."

"There are more active hall people who are going to the individual junior colleges to publicise about the halls to their juniors in the respective sports," Alvin Ng added. "This is how they recruit talent."

However, Benjamin Ng does not believe that there is a need to be overly concerned.

"We will bank on what we believe in and continue to do what we have been doing the last few years," he said.

This year's IHG has also seen a soothing of tensions between Eusoff Hall and Temasek Hall.

Second-year real estate student Seetoh Wei Han and second-year business student Wu Junhan, who are both from Eusoff Hall, said the bad feelings prevalent between the two halls during previous IHG campaigns are now a thing of the past.

"This year, the rivalry between Temasek and Eusoff is very healthy," Wu said.

"For example, after the sepak takraw finals the team members from both teams took pictures and shook hands," he added. "Even though there is intense competition, after the games we will still be friends."

However, Alvin Ng said the "bad blood between Eusoff and Temasek" is a misconception.

"I always thought that it's just a competition. There are no real enemies made during the games itself," he said. "Everybody is just fighting hard for their own teams."

At press time, Eusoff Hall and Temasek Hall are the leaders for the men's and women's competitions respectively. Temasek Hall is second whilst Kent Ridge Hall is third in the men's category. Eusoff Hall is level on points with Kent Ridge Hall in the women's category. Both Eusoff Hall and Temasek Hall share the lead in the overall IHG championship.

The games will last for a month and a half, drawing to a close on Feb. 15.

No diagnosis of CORS server problems yet

Thu, 18 Jan 2007 20:59:42 +0800

By Belmont Lay

The unavailability of the Centralised Online Registration System server during the module-bidding period at the start of this semester still remains a mystery.

Queries sent to the Registrar's Office last week did not yield a response and personnel from the unit were unable to comment at press time. A check with the NUS Computer Centre's official website did not provide any answers either.

According to the Computer Centre newsletter published in November 2003, the implementation of CORS in July that year was to "provide a fast, secure and reliable channel for students to enrol their modules across faculties."

However, students have been facing problems bidding for modules due to several problems.

An undersea earthquake that occurred off the coast of Taiwan on Dec. 26 last year resulted in damages of undersea cables, disrupting up to 98 percent of communications in several parts of Asia including Singapore. This made connection to the CORS server unstable.

In turn, bidding of modules in round 1A, which began the following day, became affected.

This resulted in the inability of students to bid for modules. Students were only able to access the CORS website using computers located on campus.

As a result, the time period for round 1A was extended and subsequent bidding rounds were pushed back to accommodate students who missed the initial bidding period.

Signs of the CORS server instability resurfaced two weeks after the initial glitch.

During round 3A on Jan. 8, students were able to access CORS only in the morning, after which the server was disrupted completely. The bidding round had to be extended for another 24 hours and tutorial balloting was delayed by two days.

In the past, students have petitioned against the instability of the CORS system.

Darryl Leong, an honours student from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, set up an online petition at the start of the 2005/2006 semester.

He wrote in the petition, "We wish to see a re-evaluation of the system, as well as a non-evasive answer from the system admin as to why such a fiasco happened."

To date, there has been no official word regarding the cause of the system's instability.