The Octob Issue ONEVOICE - SJI International life_files... · 4 Third culture kids (tck): a term used to refer to children who were raised in a culture outside of their parents' culture

ONEVOICEVolume 6, Edition 4

The October Issue

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CONTENTSLifestyle

World Class Citizens: the Third Culture Kid by Megan WeeLocal to International by Sara-Grace LienBaroque to Romantic by Vivek PalaniappanA Guide to Exams by Risma RemsudeenAn Ode to Singapore by Dhruti BhattaThe Beauty of Debate by Amy ZhangRosa Wood: an Original Story by Kimberly Yeo

Current Affairs The Migrant Crisis by George GarrityShinzo Abe’s New Japan by Russell YapUnplugged: A Musical Evening by Gianna SiddiquiGrade 8 Enrichment Day by Felix SynWorld School’s Debate Championship by Hoong Jun Ray

Follow us on Instagram @onevoice.sjii for constant updates!

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From the editorsThe second term has been a hectic one for everyone in school, but that has been felt especially in the One Voice team. With exams and deadlines flying left and right, the team has struggled to find the balance in their lives to put together this issue. But, as with all things close to one’s heart, the issue has come together truly as a labour of love. We are proud to present a shorter, tighter issue of One Voice, and hope you enjoy the read.

Tessa Rodrigues Megan Wee Natalie Wong Theo Chen Vivek Palaniappan Gianna Siddiqui

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Third culture kids (tck): a term used to refer to children who were raised in a culture outside of their parents' culture for a significant part of their development years.

The concept of being a third culture kid, or TCK, has fascinated me for years. The dichotomy of constantly changing was a dream that the Megan in 7th Grade pursued, for I never wanted to stay in one place: roots seemed like a burden. Later on, I learnt the term “Third Culture Kid”, a term that some of my peers shared in international school, and I yearned to live like the global nomads that they were.An example of a TCK would be the girl whose father was of British nationality, who’d been born from a Korean mother, and attended international school in Shanghai, speaking fluent English, Korean and Mandarin. Or alternatively, the boy who has an Italian father and Indian mother, and been living in Singapore since he was age nine probably considers himself a third culture kid, to either his delight or distress of the temporary nature of his home. Perhaps this mirrors your own formative childhood?

Exploration of a foreign country’s culture is, in my opinion, the defining benefit of living a TCK lifestyle. There is a greater understanding of global culture, because unlike the non-TCK kid who was accustomed to his own predominant culture, there is an expanded view of our Earth’s celebrated human disparities. This also stimulates a cultural and religious tolerance within the Third Culture Kid, because a TCK truly understands the interconnected weavings of humanity’s fabric; we are one human race, yet we explode with so many intricate cultural differences.

Third culture kid Mark Rodrigues, Grade 10, was born of Singaporean, Portuguese and Dutch descent. He considers himself to be a Eurasian, and his Singaporean heritage was strongly influenced by his European heritage. “Because of my father’s work, I grew up not in my home country Singapore, but in Indonesia,

World Class Citizens: the Third Culture Kid Megan Wee

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and later moved to Cairo, Egypt.” His migrations caused great confusion within the largely non-TCK community in our school (“You’re not Egyptian? But you moved from Cairo?!”).

Common misconceptions like these cause complications in answering the dreaded, yet seemingly simple, question of the TCK: “Where are you from exactly?” There isn’t a definitive way to answer that, and there is beauty behind the technicalities and borderlines mapping our world today.

To the annoyance of many TCKs, the carefree rootlessness of moving around causes “restlessness” in them. It is understandable, as the nature of being a TCK does not allow for an allegiance to any one country, or rather, makes it difficult to choose one over others. A want for the TCK is to search for their identity.

As I’ve written from the perspective of a non-TCK (I grew up in Penang and Singapore to Singaporean parents --- cultures similar and not of clear divergence), I’ve realised the importance of the necessity for the non-TCK community to adopt some of the skills that Third culture kids possess, such as but not limited to the adaption to change, and the open-mindedness of third culture kids due to their exposure to different cultures. If we want to progress as a species, humanity must look to TCKs as “prototype citizens”: they are largely “blind” to color and religion.

Local to International Schools Sara-Grace Lien

When I first received the admission letter to SJII, I was elated. I had come from a local school which tended to teach very differently from a school like SJII.

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I have always wondered what international school was like and was curious to find out. I had always been interested in learning of other educational environments, and was very pleased to know more about SJII as an international school.

I find that local schools highly academic, they focus mainly on English, Chinese and Math. Classes usually consist of worksheets and revision, and free time rarely comes by. I found that all the non academic classes were not taught by different teachers but the same teachers who taught us the academic subjects, which made them less fun. Excursions were just like classes except that they were taken outside of school. In my school, your intelligence determined the number of friends you have.

At SJI International, I feel ten times happier. The teachers do not focus solely on academics and instead of forcing worksheets on us, the teachers make lessons fun and add variety to our learning. Teachers make their subjects interesting and bring them to life, their love of teaching shines through brilliantly. We do a lot of group work in class, which I was not really experienced in, but am learning to do and now I love doing it. Thanks to a group project, I have made five new best friends who make my life in SJII all the more fun. I enjoy lessons and working as part of a team and bouncing ideas off of each other which helps me to understand new topics and complex ideas more easily.

I love all the different types of ECAs. There so many to choose from. I get to learn many different things. Currently, I am in Catholic league (compulsory for all Grade 7 Catholics), Drama, One Voice Newspaper and Tennis. In my old school, I never knew how the ECA signing up system worked as I was never taught how to do it, so I barely had any after-school activities. In this school, I understand how the system works and I can also sign up for the ECAs I like. Being involved in ECAs has helped me find out what kind of person I really am. So far, I have learnt that I am more of an artistic and creative person and I am the kind of person that likes drama and writing. Thus, I joined the Newspaper and Drama Club.

I never really had a favourite class in my old school. They were all boring. But now in SJII, I have to say the most exciting classes are Science and PE. In all those classes, I get to learn something new all the time. During science class, my science teacher, Mr Condon, lets us do a wide variety of interesting experiments that enhances our learning process. I always get paired up with a different group of people so I can get to know my classmates as we work together on our experiment. During PE, I get to team up in a group to play against another team. My favourite sport that I have learnt in PE so far is definitely Badminton and I think I’m getting quite good! In conclusion, I have to say that SJII is a better school for me as they offer a broader and holistic approach towards learning. If anyone were to ask me if SJII is a good school, I would definitely say without hesitation that SJII is the best school.

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Baroque to Romantic: an exploration of Classical Music Vivek Palaniappan

The Baroque age was one of artistic flourish and big ideas: the West enjoyed an unequalled explosion in art - particularly in architecture, poetry and music - as well as science and philosophy. In keeping with the spirit of the age, Baroque music quickly took on a sense of mathematical proportion and harmonious design. In particular, Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) took a scientific approach to music, creating carefully balanced concerti that also allow musicians to fully exercise their skill. He was vastly influential in his time, but was largely forgotten soon after his death until the early 20th Century. He was a particularly strong influence on Johann Sebastian Bach(1685-1750), a possible candidate for the greatest artist mankind has ever produced. He wrote in every style and for every instrument that his time allowed him, with the result that virtually every musician in the world has played his music. He wrote music for churches all of his life, including the most beautiful of all choral and organ music. Bach's music is flawless, mind-boggling, and almost philosophical in the implications of its perfect construction. It has never been equalled. In particular, a Passion Play he wrote in 1727 remains one of the great artistic achievements of mankind, deep in feeling, spiritual and intellectual, heavy in meaning between music and drama, and possessing what I believe to be the single most beautiful song ever written. The Baroque era was followed by the Classical era, where the birth of great composers such as Beethoven altered the course of music forever.

The revolution Beethoven sparked would result in the greatest wealth of truly great music the West has ever enjoyed, influencing a cohort of great composers whose only failure was to be born into an age of greatness: Johannes Brahms, Antonin Dvorak, Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky, Robert Schumann, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Gustav Mahler, a truly unmatched age in the history of music. Romanticism is a movement aimed at bringing back the sense of intense emotion into aesthetic art that was being lost as the result of the industrial revolution.

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This therefore resulted in the music that has much emphasis on the emotional and musical expression that is found in the works of the romantic era composers. One of such composers, is Sergei Rachmaninoff, who Piano Concerto No 3 has set that standards for the amalgamation of musical expression and demand of technique so high above the rest. Being a notoriously hard piece to play in terms of technique, the maestros of the field would agree that is even harder to perform with the intended musical expression, and thus, even some masters of the piano have deemed it too hard for them to perform. A more saddening example of the intensity of the concerto would be the story of David Helfgott, whose mental illness was literally accelerated and triggered by his performance of the concerto at a competition during the time of his musical studies.

Although the romantic era is considered to be the most important era in the history of music, the beauty of music is that it is never stagnant. It has always been changing and the change is inevitable. The magnificence of the romantic era will never be diminished but a new era will for sure shine brighter than the others and set the course of music in a very different path.

A Guide to Exams Risma Remsudeen

Ever since the school reopened after the June holidays, it has been abuzz with a common sensation dubbed ‘exam fever’. Some signs of ‘Exam fever’ include teachers audibly crying in despair at the thought of marking the huge tower of exam papers on their desks, and students (especially Grades 10s and 12s) pressurised with the revision they have to cover within the next few months.

If you’re reading this article now, you’re probably too late to be told how to plan studying effectively, but if you’re worried about an exam that’s coming up very soon, have no fear, read on!

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1. Make sure you completely understand the syllabus - What is being tested for the exam? What is not being tested for the exam? If you are not sure, be sure to ask your teacher or your friends. You wouldn’t want to study something that isn’t even on the syllabus!

2. Have a clear study plan on when you are going to revise and what you'll revise - for example, ‘on 13th September, I will do the Algebra chapter at 9am’. Moreover, make sure you leave time for break. Humans have short attention spans - just 40 minutes in every hour. Aim to take breaks so as to be working when you are at your prime!

3. Make sure you take care of your body - Stay awake and wake up early during your preparation time, but do not sleep late the day before your exam. This could make your brain feel a bit drowsy and you may not be able to think at your maximum potential!You may think this is impossible to happen during the exam but I am saying this from my personal experience! Sleep is important in maintaining a sound mind during your exams.

4. Have ‘study buddies’ - Meet up with your study buddies few days before the exams so that you can test how much you know or get help from your buddy. It’s important to use different forms of revising to help you remember your information, and being tested by a friend is a perfect way to make sure information stays in your head. But make sure you find someone who can push you further and not hinder your studies by distracting you.

5. Find methods to revise such as mind maps, making notes, flashcards or blogging. You need to know what kind of learner you are (example: visual learner) and the method of revision that suits you. Moreover, you may also stick sticky notes with notes at the area where you may often visit. This can be on the walls, fridge or in the bathroom.

You may be too late to do other things that take much longer, but remember to be calm and collected. Use this experience as a lesson for later on in life, always be prepared, and always know what you are doing.

Good luck!

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An Ode to Singapore Dhruti Bhatta

50 years ago in SingaporeThe decision was made that henceforth, We would take off as an independent cityHats off to the work of our dear ancestry!

Singapore’s had half a century of highs and lows But our Merlion City just grows and grows!

Let’s rejoice our freedom on this ecstatic occasion Wave our flags in the air and call for celebration!

Our respect to the legendary Lee Kuan Yew, With his work ,our minds he definitely blew

For we live in his work, his little red dot and embrace this beautiful island home we’ve got!

Let’s march forward as a united nation And create a Singaporean sensation!

Pushing all our differences behind,Regardless of race, let’s be kind!

Let’s sport some clothes of red and white, And see the National Parade, what a sight! Truly blessed to live in such a verdant city,

Singapore, we wish you a fantastic fifty!

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Debating? Simple! Amy Zhang

Recently, I participated in the international academic competition called the World Scholar’s Cup, which focuses on the fun of learning and the ability to share ideas with our peers. This was definitely the most fun I’ve ever had in years, but of course; it was still a rigorous competition. And the most nerve-wracking part of it was obviously debating! I had no background whatsoever in standing in front of people and voicing my arguments: what in the world was I going to do? But as it turned out, I posses a talent of the ability to convince people with my words, unbeknownst to yours truly, and I even won a position in the Regional Round debate showcase, in which 8 students out of 600 are selected! I have first hand experience with how scary it is to only know the motion you’re debating on a mere 15 minutes before speaking, so I’ve put together a few tips that could help out beginner-level debaters. 1. What is the problem? No matter what you are debating about, it is always going to be a problem searching for a solution. If you focus on the big problem at hand, you will be able to have a clear pathway to the solution that you want. One statement was: We believe that we should abolish children beauty pageants. Now the problem for this statement is the distorted image of beauty, and its negative impact on children. If you were affirmative, how would abolishing the pageants minimise the harm it causes to the children? If you are negative, and would like to keep beauty pageants going, how would this minimise the harm it causes to the children? 2. Be confident! It would do you no good to stand there slouching, with your nose down, fingers fiddling with that piece of paper you are holding. Who would be convinced that your points are the best even if you had great arguments? Speaking loudly, calmly; standing straight, confidently, will give off a strong aura, and automatically people will be strongly attracted to the arguments you want them to agree to.

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3. Think out of the box. Heck, even think out of a whole truckload full of boxes. We need interesting, never-thought-of points. Make the audience think, “oh my! I’ve never thought of that, this completely changes my perspective”. For example, when everyone is talking about how a superhero aiding a country will improve political and safety problems, talk about how that superhero will inspire the children, who are the future of the nation! One thing I have learnt from World Scholar’s Cup debates is that mainstream is not the best stream to go down. You need unique ideas to be able to win the hearts of your judges! 4. Touch the heart, convince the brain. Use gruesome details and extreme examples to your aid. It is not a strong argument if you said that if you stop smacking the child, he/she would listen to the parents more. However, if you focus on the consequences of what would happen if you don’t spare the child, the pain would be seen clearer. Imagine: children going to school wearing long sleeved clothes, terrified their scars will be seen. Children having horrible thoughts of suicide, thinking that death is less painful than life. Psychological scars, haunting them for the rest of their lives. Force the judge to empathise with you, make him see how terrible it will be if he doesn’t agree. Make sure everything that isn’t in your favour seems like the worst choice, that whatever you say will provide the best-case scenario. 5. Order to test your points: A. Is this point believable? B. Is it morally acceptable? C. Does this point concern lives of people? D. Does this point affect the quality of the life? But above all, the most important thing you must remember? Believe in what you want to say. Trust that your argument is the best, and nothing can tell you otherwise. Debating is the time wherein you get to show off all kinds of stubbornness and arrogance you have, while mercilessly spewing bullets of concrete evidence and legitimate points. Also, don’t forget to have fun! You’ll get lots of satisfaction, believe me.

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Rosa Wood Kimberley Yeo

Rosa Wood was a horrid girlHer parents spoilt her to make us hurl

She stomped around shouting demandsAnd we were paid to put in her hand

Sweets! Toys! Pets! Friends!Yes, we paid her only friends.Both of them got two twenty

Hundred that is, for money was plentyBut charm was not

Rosa's heart began to rotThe day her eyes began to danceIn that spoilt, evil, daring prance

She was a gargoyle that ever wasHer teeth pierced as well as any knife 'cause

Her cackles were loud, her broom ignitedI felt as if she had flying monkeys knighted

Her parents didn't care, they had been spoilt tooThey didn't understand why we wanted to spew

Whenever that little brat was fed cashWe wanted to poison her own hash.

So that's what we did, our words were trueWe slipped some arsenic in her stew

We watched her die like a ratWe thought, we'll be rich! We'll get her cash!

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But then Mr. Wood appeared on the scene"What have you done?" he roared, not hearing Mrs. Wood's scream

"You've killed my girl? We're getting the police!"But Mr. Wood's cell phone wasn't in his sleeve!

"I'll get you still!" running out of the kitchen he sangBut then there was a bang, bang, bang!

The cook had pulled out his old rifle!"What do we do?" the maid screeched.

"Now their dead we can't bother with the trifles!"

"Let's grab the money, we'll run now!" I yelledWe ran to the safe, and we revelled

The end of the story was a comical actA maid, a cook, a nurse, and me. I'm the butler, that's the fact

We ran off with the moneyWhile the Woods had a moment a little less sunny

Rosa in her stew, Mr. Wood shotMrs. Wood had died of shock

We weren't to blame, it was all that Rosa WoodBut if you see me in the street, getting some food

I always carry arsenic for that spoilt kidNext to me in the line, telling fibs

Tossing their curls, their eyes too brightI can't help but use that bottle which first gave me light

Don’t spoil your kids, the consequences are greatTeach them wisely, before it’s too late

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The Migrant Crisis George Garrity

Our world is currently an unstable one, with war and conflict occurring in almost every part of the world. These wars can have devastating effects for the region, but also for people and countries far away, sometimes in an economic manner, but also a humanitarian one as well. One example of this is the migrant crisis in Europe. People from unstable regions in North Africa and the Middle East are fleeing their homes to search for a better life in countries like the UK or Germany. This is a huge issue for Europe, but why?

To get to mainland Europe, these refugees take massive risks. They pay thousands of dollars to people smugglers so they can cross the Mediterranean Sea with hundreds of others on small life rafts or fishing boats. The boats they travel on are barely seaworthy, and have been known to carry over 300 people at a time. Every month up to 7000 people attempt to cross the sea, with many swept under before they even glimpse the shore. The navies of many countries, mainly the Italians, the Maltese and the Greeks, manage to rescue some of these people while still at sea, but tragically many still drown.

Even if these migrants reach the mainland, their journey is not over yet. When they land, they are usually stuck in countries like Italy and Greece, which are viewed as unideal countries since they lack opportunities and the language and culture is seen as very hard to adapt to. So they start travelling northward to reach countries like the UK.

Stuck with problems of being stranded, as these people are often not allowed into countries like the UK due to large anti-immigration sentiment in the country, or the government’s unwillingness to take in refugees, either for economic or political reasons. This leaves migrants stranded in nearby port towns, often turning to violence and crime in an attempt to get to a new host country. This has led to governments tightening border control, even sending in riot police to control desperate and unruly crowds. So far, this has proved futile in discouraging desperate migrants from attempting to cross borders.

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While we often see coverage of these refugees on the news, there is one other group who gets fairly little recognition on an international level, that being the Rohingya people of Myanmar & Bangladesh. Mainly from the Rakhine province in Myanmar, the Rohingya are a Muslim ethnic minority group which are persecuted heavily in Myanmar, so much so that international media has dubbed them ‘the most persecuted people in the world’. These people are unrecognised as a minority group by the government of Myanmar, simply being referred to as refugees from Bangladesh, leaving them absolutely defenceless from racial violence and persecution from Buddhist extremists in the country. To escape this dire situation, many of them attempt to cross into neighbouring countries in the same manner as migrants attempting to cross into Europe, with, unfortunately, very similar results. While Malaysia, Indonesia & Thailand have promised to take in refugees, these people still suffer, displaced and suffering from violence.

So is there any way we can solve these crises? Technically yes, but not without radical reform across the globe. Invading and stabilising war torn countries like Syria, reforming governments, and a whole host of other problems the international community would have to resolve. So what can we do right now? Help these people by providing shelter and asylum, and making sure that they can seek a better life for themselves and their families.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is not your regular Japanese Prime Minister. For one thing, he’s trying to change the military restrictions that have held Japan since the end of World War 2, and he’s doing quite well.

On Thursday the 16th of July, Prime Minister Abe successfully managed to get enough votes to change Japan’s military law. This means that for the first time in over seventy years, Japanese military can be sent overseas to engage in foreign conflicts, under certain conditions, of course.

Shinzo Abe’s New Japan Russell Yap

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But not everyone was happy with this change in law. Thousands of Japanese citizens rallied outside Parliament to protest against what they called a militaristic stance, and opposition lawmakers stormed out of Parliament in protest.

Prime Minister Abe seeks to rebuild Japan into a country which can have a greater role in world politics and the new legislation is his first step towards this and away from pacifism. He believes that this legislation is necessary to protect Japan against threats like China and the territorial disputes or the killing of two Japanese citizens, Kenji Goto and Haruna Yukawa, by Islamic State militants. So, not many people expected Prime Minister Abe to apologise for Japan’s heinous acts in World War 2. But surprisingly, he did! Kind of.

Quoting a translation of Prime Minister Abe’s speech, “In Japan, the postwar generations now exceed eighty per cent of its population. We must not let our children, grandchildren, and even further generations to come, who have nothing to do with that war, be predestined to apologise.”

The South Koreans and Chinese were not happy with this. They felt that by saying this, he had killed off the sincerity of the rest of his speech. They also felt that he was merely repeating the apologies offered by his predecessors, despite his “I (Prime Minister Abe) find myself speechless and my heart is rent with utmost grief”. As the President of South Korea said, the speech “left much to be desired”.

However, some people agree with Prime Minister Abe. After all, what’s in the past is in the past. Past Prime Ministers have also apologised, albeit mostly incompletely. Some, like the Chinese and the South Koreans, still do not forgive Japan and its leaders because of its censorship and rewriting of history, for example, denying or watering down events like the Rape of Nanjing or leaving their involvement in WW2 out of textbooks. Even more reprehensible though, are Prime Minister Abe’s visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, a memorial for Japanese war leaders, many certified war criminals.

Either way, there are some things that can’t be denied. Support for Prime Minister Abe rose 14.6% since the speech, while his disapproval rating fell by 10.1%. It looks like Prime Minister Abe might be winning a second election in a row, so we should hope that he sincerely means it when he says “my heart is rent with utmost grief”.

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Unplugged 2015 started off with blissful melodies amidst the setting sun to ending with energetic performances that both moved and excited the audience. As one of the Music Performance Committee’s (MPC) biggest musical programs of the year, this year proved to be no disappointment in displaying the vast amount of musical talent that thrives within our school community. This music event saw many new (and old) faces perform and were all met by the audience with great enthusiasm and applause. Performers ranged from all grades, with a significant amount coming from the ever music loving tenth and eleventh graders. Performances from the lower school consisted of Aftershock, whose assemblage of different musical instruments brought a new musical sound altogether, in addition to their stunning vocalist Nadya, from Grade 8 who moved the audience with her masterful control of the art. This event also saw the return of one of our very talented alumni, Yishuen, who captivated everyone with her mellow plays of the guitar and ardent vocals that kept the audience on their toes for the entirety of the performance.

Unplugged 2015 also turned out to be the perfect platform to showcase the depth of talent of some of the musicians in SJII – the night featured two original songs, performed by Synergy (comprising of Adam and Shawn from Grade 11) and Caitlyn, previously of Grade 10. These three are always there to perform with their riveting energy and die-hard passion for music and did not disappoint at all with their lovely original compositions.

There were many other old and new acts of the night, ranging from soloist turned emcee Jenn, to Marie and Colleen, to the Three Musketeers and to Ledi’s and Gentlemen. The night alas came to an end but was done with a bang, featuring old favourites Crystalline, comprising of lead singer Laetitia, accompanied with her ever-charismatic band members, who all were superb in pumping up the audience with their natural flair for entertaining and performing. The music filled evening ended with covers of our favorite classics and thunderous applause, which truly marked a fine end to a fine night.

Unplugged was truly a spectacular event and remains an important part of the arts culture in our school and will no doubt continue to do so. The night would have been impossible without the performers (whom all did a fantastic job) and the MPC, both of whom make these events as fun as they are. The next musical event will be Acoustic Night, which will be a lovely little music filled evening to end off the school year – looking forward to seeing everyone there!

Unplugged: A Musical Tribute Gianna Siddiqui

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Grade 8 Enrichment Day Felix Syn

On 31 July 2015, SJI-International held an event which tested students on their abilities. These included activities such as Performance, Teamwork, Skills, Knowledge, Adventure and Physical. Students are separated into mixed groups of their own grade and each group can be separated into the houses: blue, red, green and yellow. In this event, the different houses have to compete and gain points to win.

The performance segment was all about creating the most impressive handshake within the various house groups, which was judged based on creativity, complexity and enthusiasm. The students had a fixed amount of time to put their thinking caps on and develop a captivating handshake that would impress the judges (teachers).

For the Teamwork activity, students were asked to make a bridge. The bridges were to be made out of 5 sheets of A4 paper, 5 paperclips, 1 meter of tape, 4 straws and a pair of scissors (which could not be part of the bridge) and the bridge has to have the length of 30cm or more. The judging criteria was based solely on how much weight the bridge could withstand before collapsing.

For the Skills activity, students were tasked to build a structure out of Lego with the theme: SG50. Especially for this activity, two groups were mixed to collaborate on this project and a box of Lego was given to the students to make their Lego piece which they could keep for themselves. The judging criteria were mostly based on creativity and the rest on the judges’ preference.

For the Knowledge activity, just as the Skills activity, two groups were mixed to collaborate. This activity utilised the application “Kahoot” which presented 100 questions for students to answer based on general knowledge, languages, history, geography and many other subjects. To make it even more challenging, students were given questions on paper. The judging criteria were based on rankings on “Kahoot” and the points awarded from solving the questions on paper.

For the Physical activity, students had to play an intense game of Captain’s Ball amongst the house colours. Points were awarded based on which house won or lost to another house.

For the Adventure activity, students were given a task to make a raft out of different sized bamboo sticks, 2 barrels and a lot of rope within a certain amount of time. After the time limit is up, two members of each team had to board the raft and cross the swimming pool which was 25 meters long. The winner was chosen from the first to finish crossing the pool.

During these activities, students were each given a ten-minute time slot to be interviewed by their tutor to record their current academic performance based on their reports.

For me, the day was an amazing, educational and fun experience to have.

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World School’s Debate Championship Hoong Jun Ray

On the 29th of July SJII had the immense privilege of being one of the schools to host the preliminary rounds of the World Schools’ Debating Championships (WSDC). We had countries from all over the globe like Lithuania, Zimbabwe, Germany, Australia, Pakistan flying down to Singapore, the little red dot. I had the fortune to chair then later attend 3 debates full of scintillating wit, perspicacious arguments and disarming rebuttals that were simply mind-blowing to a junior debater such as myself.

The finals held at MediaCorp Studios on the 5th of August was definitely a debate that will remain in my mind for a long time. Our Singaporean team had contended for a place in the finals, and ultimately the championships against Canada. A group of 6 SJII students made their way to the MediaCorp Studios chaperoned by Mr Nicholson to watch the passionate and dynamic debate between the 2 debate superpowers. The motion – This House Believes that governments should provide a guaranteed Universal Basic Income – at first glance seems to be bias to the Opposition, which was Canada. After all it was easily arguable that the unemployed, lazy slackers didn’t deserve the hard-earned money of the state and burden their fellow taxpayers. However, Proposition, Singapore, threw a curveball that knocked and bowled the Opposition over. In the span of 1 hour preparation time, they had gathered at least a dozen solid statistics, scripted fluid and eloquent speeches and researched concrete thesis statements to successfully coax the adjudicators in believing that having a UBI (Universal Basic Outcome) was a basic right!

They delivered blow after blow at the Opposition, tackling their arguments with what debaters call “fluffy” philosophies like how having a UBI would entitle every single citizen to have a fundamental claim on the state, how money in this day and age was essential to human rights like good living conditions and the ability to provide for your loved ones. Their point on how UBI protects dignity really touched the adjudicators’ hearts and conscience and their statement on how it would stimulate economic growth was so logical it was near irrefutable.

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Of course, Canada was also a formidable opponent, a force to be reckoned with. They did exactly what Opposition was meant to do – dismantle Proposition’s arguments ruthlessly like deconstructing a lego tower. They very skilfully brought out the social detriment of a UBI, like how it took 2.96 trillion in the US to provide a UBI, which was essentially 12% of their GDP, how it was directly prioritising the individuals below the income bracket instead of the collective public.

Ultimately, the entire Proposition case appealed to adjudicators both emotionally and realistically, allowing Singapore to clinch the championships and be the first host country of the WSDC to win the entire competition! The standard of the international debaters was astounding – their intelligence and wit, general knowledge on practically anything and everything going on in the world was both awe-inspiring and downright scary. It was definitely an unforgettable experience, witnessing the finals of the World Schools’ Debating Championships 2015.

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