A Singapore Management University Students’ Association Publication

The Blue and Gold

Issue 5 MICA (P) 200/03/2009 Because You Need to Know. March 2009

The GSR debate

Good cause for protest?
Or just policy-making gone wrong?
Interview with the
new SMUSA Exco
SMU Students’ Association’s take on
the big and small issues

New Section: CCA Pages!

Breeming with content
generated by SMU RUN
TEAM, SMU AQUATHON
PAW, SMUKI, and SMU ISE
 Credits

This issue of The Blue and Gold

is proudly sponsored by:

Credits:
It has been a whirlwind journey. And what’s more, a flurry of arts events in SMU over the last month as we
Managing Director slogged to bring this issue from screen to print.
Michael Ng Wai Ting
Editor-in-Chief In fact, I’ve had my own share of arty-farty stuff too. Having spent the last few weeks of the past year flying
Ephraim Loy Suan Je my friends’ kites. Not in a literal sense though. It was an artwork on “freedom of expression” which was
Communications exhibited at the visual art exhibition in conjunction with the sixth SMU Arts Festival.
Secretary,SMUSA
Valmond Teng I also fell in love with the inaugural SMU <3 Film Festival. I swear I saw a nice “heart” embedded in the
Editors: title. Wished the romance could have lasted a little longer.
School Events
Catching Honk! The Musical made me wonder realise why the story was synonymous with SMU. Therein
Bharath Ranganathan lies the difference. It was a nice way to wrap up the festivities with a classic story.
Viewpoint
Suren Rastogi And then I hopped over next door from the Victoria Theatre to the Victoria Concert Hall for a treat most
Higher Learning pleasing to the ears. Fit for a queen, if I could draw some similarities, this concert presented by Symphonia.
Truong Thi Ngoc Anh But just as all the arty stuff was going on, serious things take place too. A new SMUSA Exco had stepped
Worldscope up to serve the SMU community. An exclusive interview with the new team on topics close to our hearts
Esther Yeo Shu Xian awaits as you flip the pages.
Talisa Kaur Dhaliwal
Simple things like the issue of GSRs gets thrown into the spotlight - a lack of student consultation perhaps?
Digital
Pranav Backliwal On the world stage, a new US President sworn in, a Gaza strip conflict and a recession as deep as the Great
Travel Depression.
Truong Thi Ngoc Anh
Campus Arts Tough and exciting times hit us. How do we deal with such challenges?
Pang Hui Qing
Graphic Design Ephraim Loy
Faith Hu Jingyi Editor-in-Chief
Illustrator
Kanika Malik
Part of:

Printer
KHL Printing Co Pte Ltd

Page 2 • Issue 4 • The Blue and Gold

 Contents

Contents
Viewpoint
4•      Letters from the students 18•      Flashpoint: Gaza Strip
Excerpts of views from the ground on issues that matter
CCA Pages
6•      Unbranded Column* 20•      Fueling Your Run by SMU Runteam
The Wikipedia in your Head: Impossibly large and
incredibly crash-proof 22•      Triathlon 101 by SMU AQUATHLON

School Events 24•      Paradise on Earth by SMU PAW

8•      The GSR debate
Good cause for protest? Or just policy-making gone 26•      “Dari Kita Untuk Kita” by SMUKI
wrong?
28•      Social Entreprenuership is a Complex
10•      Interview with the new SA Exco and Ferocious Animal to Tame by SMU ISE
SMU Students’ Association’s take on the big and small
issues
Campus Arts
30•      Honk!
Higher Learning Honkin’ Splendid
12•      Interview with Edmund’s
A interview session with our very own entrepreneur 32•      Apostrophe: The Poetry Slam Show

33•      LAMHE (Moment) - ICS Dance Per-

Worldscope formance
16•      Chinanomics
It is one thing to learn about China from textbooks. It 34•      SMU Film Fest
is another thing to learn about China from living here. Inaugural three-day film festival in SMU kicks off
A running column on life in Shanghai.

17•      All the World’s a Stage

Catch us online!
http://theblueandgold.wordpress.com/

The Blue and Gold • Issue 4 • Page 3

Viewpoint
Letters from the students
Excerpts of views from the ground on issues that matter
Is there sufficient interaction between
local and International students?
SUMEDHA JALOTE
“When the idea of my going outside India
for college first came up, I was less than
enthusiastic. At that time, my parents were
suggesting the US, not Singapore. I’ve lived in
the US for a year, and though I really liked that
year, I didn’t want to study there for four years.
I didn’t want to live so far away from home,
among unfamiliar people. I was scared.
Then, after a lot of research, I started thinking
about it. I talked to my family and my friends.
What are the rights of a SMU student?
ELVIN ONG
“In a state system, citizens have rights accorded to
them by the constitution, which is the law of the
land. Similarly, in any business transaction, we
know that parties to a contract have specific rights
subject to certain limitations. When disputes arise,
rights between parties come into conflict, and
it is up to the court to weigh the arguments and
to provide a resolution. Human rights, consumer
rights, animal rights, property rights, worker rights
– the debate for all of them seem endless. But
university student rights? Silent. Not even a pin
drop.
The question simply just popped right into my
head after I noticed that the “rights of students”
appeared both in SMUSA’s vision and mission
Want to see more? Read the full version online!
Log on to http://theblueandgold.wordpress.com/
Page 4 • Issue 4 • The Blue and Gold
Many of my friends told me all the good things
that I would get from education abroad. But
one of my friends said that he thought it was a
bad idea to go abroad so young. He said that I
wasn’t mature enough to take full advantage of
the experiences that studying in such a diverse
place such as the US could give me. He thought
that I’d get scared and end up trying to make
friends only with other Indians to stay within
my comfort zone.
It seemed very unlikely to me that I would be part
of only an “Indian gang” in college. And then, my
parents and I thought about Singapore, I applied,
in the annual report provided during SMUSA’s
AGM. I thought that it was a logical question to
ask, since if you proclaim to want to uphold or
advocate something, you should know what you
are upholding or advocating. You must know.
Apparently, you don’t. We don’t.
It cannot be just some airy-fairy, imaginative
notion that SMUSA reaches for conveniently to
justify their actions, inactions or arguments when
confronting controversial issues between students
and the school administration. Such an approach is
weak, reflects badly on our student leaders and does
not help support the various causes of the student
population. There must be something concrete
and defensible, to provide for a foundation of the
relationships between all the stakeholders in the
university system. Students need to know where
they can stand, or cannot stand, so that they
got admitted, and, comforted by its proximity to
home, decided to study here.
But my friend turned out to be partially right. I’ve
been in Singapore for six months now, but all my
friends are Indians.
I’ve worked with many Singaporeans and with
international students from other countries too,
but made friends only with Indians. I don’t know
why exactly this has happened: the locals that I’ve
worked with have been very friendly, and I’ve liked
most of them. But the link would always end with
the end of the project....”
can take up positions on issues and participate
effectively and meaningfully in school.
Lest there are some cynics among you who question
the purpose for clarifying the rights of students in
SMU, perhaps a few examples might enlighten
the issue. Suppose that the school administration
wishes to implement a school-wide policy, say
hypothetically, that all students cannot eat donuts
in school. The new policy has been formulated
by administrative office managers, approved by
the respective director and an email is sent out to
the whole school, informing students about the
new policy change. An uproar ensues. As much as
donut-loving students may complain, do they have
the right to participate and influence eating policy-
making procedures and decisions?...”
Aesthetics & Convenience
With advancements in technology,
Lasik procedures are getting safer and
cheaper attributing to why they are so
common nowadays. However, most
people are under the impression that
the main reason for Lasik surgery is
to be “spec-free” and have that aes-
thetically-pleasing look. However the
benefits of Lasik are much more than
aesthetics and convenience.
Medical Benefits
By removing the need to wear contact
lenses, the risks of a number of various
eye disorders associated with contact
lens wear are eliminated. These include
allergic conjunctivitis, corneal ulcers,
and eye infections from handling
lenses with unwashed fingers. There
are also cases of pingueculaes and
pterygiums which can lead to frequent
red eyes. Hard contact lens users are
also prone to developing ptosis or
droopy eyelids.
Economic Benefits
By opting for Lasik, one can save
recurring expenses from contact lenses
an d spectacles. Replacing your spec-
tacles every one and a half to two years
can set you back around $180-$800.
Combined with the $300-$340 yearly
cost of contact lenses & cleaning solu-
tions, for those who use both, that’s up
to $390-$790 of recurring expenses a
year!
Upon doing the proverbial math the
earlier one opts for refractive surgery,
the more one benefits from Lasik.
Viewed from an economic perspective,
after four years one could be looking at
actually saving money.
Having recently undergone the pro-
cedure myself, if you have not even
checked out your suitability for the
procedure, I would like to suggest that
you consider doing so during your
break as it is truly an amazing feeling
to have your natural vison back.
Andrew Huang
andrew@nightlasik.com
 Viewpoint

Unbranded Column*
The Wikipedia in your Head: Impossibly large and incredibly crash-proof

Pretty much all of these

(memory) problems with
forgetting have to do with
problems of retrieval, not
complete loss of the original
memory link...You have not
lost it permanently and you
know it will show up. But for
now, for the life of you, you
have no idea where it might
be lurking.

S. Ramaswami
Practice Associate Professor of
Marketing
You may have learnt in consumer behaviour or in
psychology that the human memory is capable
of absorbing and retaining a vast amount of
information. Almost everything you knew well at
some point in time (e.g. names of school classmates,
all the members of the table of elements, various
world capitals) is engraved in your memory forever.
Or until you suffer some physical brain damage
through a blow to the head, or by playing too many
video games. Ok, that last part was a joke. But,
really, your memory is limitless and permanent, at
least until you get senile and the brain cells begin
deteriorating. And yet, you all know how tough it
can be to remember everything you need to during
an exam. Or how sometimes, you remember the
correct answer moments after handing in an exam.
How can that be? If your memory is virtually
limitless and virtually permanent, then why do you
have such difficulty remembering names of people
you used to know well, or the specific technical
terms of concepts you covered in class just weeks
ago?
Mental Mess
Pretty much all of these kinds of problems with
forgetting have to do with problems of retrieval,
not complete loss of the original memory link.
Imagine you have a very cluttered home. You know
your passport has not left your home. And that it is
in a very safe place where you have kept it for that
precise moment when you might decide to leave
on that impulsive Bangkok holiday. It is there,
somewhere, but you have no idea where it is. And
the only way you can search, is sequentially, looking
through every cubic inch of space – in drawers, in
cupboards, in folders, inside shoes, pant pockets,
old cereal boxes, nestled among books, etc. That
can take a very long time, and sometimes despite
that exhaustive search and despite your eyes even
physically passing over the passport a few times,
you simply cannot find it. You have not lost it
permanently and you know it will show up. But for
now, for the life of you, you have no idea where it
might be lurking.
The human memory is much like that for the
unorganized among us. It is just a vast jumble of
information unconnected and in scattered bits
and pieces. For those trivia quiz winners, for the
expert, for those exam acers, their memory is not
necessarily bigger in capacity; it is just much better
organized. There is a place for everything, and
everything is in its place. But you can be like that
too, with a little bit of preparation.
Often, I find that when I teach a concept or
theory or method in week 2 of the term, and ask
some probing questions of my students right after
that, they are able to answer brilliantly well. And

Page 6 • Issue 4 • The Blue and Gold


Every new bit of information
should not just be shoved in
on top of everything else but
connected to other bits
of information that are
already gathered. And the
time do that organizing is not
once a term, and not just in
week 14.
that gives me such great confidence in my own
teaching ability. Yet, in week 6 or 7, when I expect
them to demonstrate that understanding in some
application in a project, say the design of a project
questionnaire, or in some quiz question, the same
students do it like they have never attended class at
all. And like they are trying to construct the answer
from first principles as a lay but smart non-student.
And these are not slackers; these are students who
are very bright and very hardworking, and who
have been attending class regularly and are able to
answer questions at will while the material is being
taught.
So what’s wrong here? And what can they do to
make sure that the learning is more permanent?
Just having a lot of information stored in memory
is surely not good enough if you are not able to
retrieve it at will when you want to.
Organizing the information mess
The trick to this is to organize your memory. Just
like you might organize your desk or cupboard or
shelves, or laptop hard drives. Every new bit of
information should not just be shoved in on top
of everything else but connected to other bits of
information that are already gathered. And the
time do that organizing is not once a term, and
not just in week 14. If you did that, then, minutes
after the exam is over (or unfortunately for some,
minutes before the exam is over), whatever
semblance of organization was there would have
again been scattered into the deep recesses of the
brain.
Reading Information
The time to organize is at the start, when the
information goes in - when you read, and when
you listen for the first time. You need to read
and listen with an active, questioning, organizing
mind – which is constantly confronting the new
information within some broad organizational
framework already created and which can be
continually refined. Even when you read a text,
don’t just jump into the assigned chapter and
try to read every line from the first to the last,
trying to memorize as much as you can. Instead,
start with the contents page where the chapter’s
layout is described. The chapter has sections and
headings, sub-headings and sub-sub-headings.
And the chapter itself is part of a section of the
textbook and course that has some conceptual link
to other chapters and portions of the book. And
that layout of the chapters is usually described in
the introductory chapter. So even if chapter 1 is
not included in the quiz, or exam, read it anyway,
because it will often have an organizational
framework for the entire book. So now, when
you read a line of text, it is not a free floating bit
of information. Instead, it is part of an organized
framework, serving a specific role and connected
to specific other parts of the initially developed
framework.
Expanding your knowledge framework
That framework is your mental filing cabinet –
with each concept connected to other concepts
already learnt before. Sometimes, you might be
learning deeper meanings for older concepts
you learnt in an earlier course, or even in JC.
Sometimes, you might be learning connections to
other concepts you know of or have had different
connections for in a different course. Sometimes,
you might be expanding the framework by adding
more boxes and arrows around it. In any case,
every new bit of information is being considered,
contrasted, chewed and stored in a place where you
can retrieve it from later.
And you could do that throughout the 35-45
courses you take at SMU, connecting learning
in marketing about brand equity, to learning in
finance about valuation, connecting learning
in economics about macro economic effects of
taxation, to learning in strategy about reacting to
macro economic trends, and so on. Then, by the
end of these four years, you don’t have some 10,000
bits of information piled rudely on top of each
Viewpoint
other, with no way of retrieving anything useful.
Instead, you have a wonderful virtual portable
Wikipedia of your own creation. And then every
bit of business news, stock market information,
articles from various media, conversations with
friends, is that much easier to file away and hence
remember.
And that is the true value that you are offering to a
company that is looking to hire for the knowledge
economy. Not just a lot of bits and pieces of data
which were once learnt with just enough lasting
power to ace that end term exam. But knowledge
that is organized and available for life.
Organization is the key to efficient retrieval. Of
that passport in that big jumble of your room. And
of vital information in that Wikipedia you are
capable of creating for yourself in your brain.
* The main objective of this column is to convey
an independent faculty perspective on academic
matters that seem of great importance to SMU
students – on grades, class participation, group
projects, examinations, grade reviews, etc. The
author does not claim to represent the official
SMU view. Comments, critiques, ideas for future
columns, questions are welcome – email me at
unbrandedcolumn@gmail.com.
And that is the true value
that you are offering to a
company that is looking to hire
for the knowledge economy.
Not just a lot of bits and
pieces of data which
were once learnt with
just enough lasting power
to ace that end term
exam. But knowledge that is
organized and available for life.
The Blue and Gold • Issue 4 • Page 7
School Events
The GSR debate
Good cause for protest? Or just policy-making gone wrong?

“Dividing GSRs into

seats,” said one student,
“isamazingly
ridiculous.”
OWEN TAN

The announcement by the Office of Facilities

Management (OFM) by email to students
on January 5 sparked great debate about how
decisions for students were made in campus.
OFM had announced new rules for the booking
of Group Study Rooms (GSRs): that up to three
separate persons can book “seats” in the rooms,
replacing the one-person booking system. This
meant that the usage of a GSR is now given up to
three different groups.
Vice President, SMU Students’ Association
(SMUSA), Daren Li explained: “OFM has
received much flak on this issue. However,
regardless of their oversight in informing the
student population....their underlying intention
was a noble one. All they wanted to solve was the
problem of students hogging and underutilizing
GSRs irresponsibly. We should not forget the
other pro-student initiatives that they have come
up with, the most recent one being installation of
tables and benches at the LKCSB for more study
space.“
While OFM’s intentions were to allow for
more students to be able to book these facilities,
especially during the later part of the term, most
of the students were frustrated with the way
the decision was implemented and would have
preferred if OFM had sought prior opinions.
This prompted the SMUSA President Rachel
Kok, to respond on the same day.
“As fellow students,” she said, “we too understand
the inconvenience and frustration that you all
are experiencing now.” She also promised to hold
talks with OFM to resolve this matter.
The Facebook protest
The GSR debate reached a high when students
took to Facebookto protest against the new
policy. At the time of writing, the group already
had 1,216 members.
Comments about the new policy by students in
the group were mostly negative.
lack of consulting with the students prior to the
implementation of the policy.
“Now,” another student said, “let’s see if our voices
are actually heard.”
While the group was indeed active in discussion,
most of the remarks were complaints – a
discussion board in the same group set up for
concrete suggestions on improving GSR booking
had only 10 posts, while the Wall posts where
most of the discussions were held had 205.
Compromise
On January 7, Rachel responded with another
email informing students that SMUSA and
OFM were undergoing internal talks, in the hope

“Dividing GSRs into seats,” said one student,

“is amazingly ridiculous.” Others criticized the

Page 8 • Issue 4 • The Blue and Gold


to “glean insight from the perspectives of the
different stakeholders”.
Recounting the experience, she revealed: “Quite
a number of us from the Students’ Association
Council (SAC) went down to find out what was
the rationale behind the policy change and to
share about the potential inconveniences and
repercussions from a student’s perspective. Some of
these include privacy issues, effective reduction of
hours and so on.”
“I believe that (SMUSA) being
the bridge for the students
would give way to greater
participative and
consultative decision
making, which would
effectively in-crease the overall
benefit to the school and
students,”
-SMUSA President Rachel Kok
Finally, a compromise was reached. On January
8 at 12.20pm, SMUSA sent an email informing
students of a change in the GSR booking system:
•Two students are now required to book a GSR
(one to book, and another to confirm);
•Hours will be deducted from both persons’ given
quota.
“SMUSA is here to listen,” she said in an email.
“As the SA [Executive Committee] embarks on our
new term, we earnestly hope that you will help us
help you.”
Students respond
Some students are satisfied with the compromise.
Said one: “The Students’ Association has done
a good enough job for now.” Another student,
however, felt that this set an “unhealthy precedent”.
He said: “It now makes more sense for the various
School Events
Offices to just go ahead and [introduce policies].
The compromise would then be their original
desired point.”
While the GSR debate has somewhat cooled after
a hectic first week, it remains to be seen if the new
booking system is a bitter, but effective remedy for
the students. More important is the question of
whether future policies might be implemented in a
similar fashion in the future.
Beyond the GSR issue
When asked about the “unhealthy precedent”
where students are left out of the decision-making
process al-together until the decision is already
made, Rachel explained that the “issue indeed came
as a surprise.”
But looking beyond what has happened, she
acknowledged that in the decision process,
some stakeholders might have be overlooked
unintentionally by Offices in the school.
She is quick to add that the issue had prompted
concrete actions from the SA ExCo and an
important realization.
“I don’t rule out the possibility that there might
be a similar occurrence in the future, considering
there are more than 20 offices in SMU, but the SA
ExCo is still in the midst of establishing stronger
relationships and we hope that such instances are
minimized.”
She also said that she saw this as an excellent
opportunity to institutionalize communication
channels between the SAC and the offices.
And by doing so, greater benefits will be reaped.
“I believe that us being the bridge for the
students would give way to greater participative
and consultative decision making, which would
effectively increase the overall benefit to the school
and students,” she said.
Whether the new rules will effectively reduce the
congestion of GSR booking, however, can only be
determined at the end of the term.
The Blue and Gold • Issue 4 • Page 9
 School Events
Interview with the new SA Exco
SMU Students’ Association’s take on the big and small issues
“...the question shouldn’t be
so much what SMU can do
to help the students become
different, it’s about what
the students can do to
gain back that difference,
and to give themselves that
edge.”
Tan Yin Yin
Student Initiatives Secretary
Page 10 • Issue 4 • The Blue and Gold
EPHRAIM LOY
MICHAEL NG
Just like any election, the swearing-in ceremony is
just the beginning. And for the SMUSA case there
is no exception. Many would commend those who
step up. And they must have believed something
could be done. But in some instances like the SMU
difference debate, the jury is still out.
For Welfare Secretary Delphine Hu, the school
identity is one that is daunting.
“I would say that even universities with long
histories are still unable to establish this sense of
connectivity amongst their students. Probably this
is largely due to the structure of universities, where
students have no structured timetables to follow
and every semester is a different one altogether.
Moreover, we are a rather new university to work
with, building a strong school culture would take
a long way and we can only take one step at a time.
Just like how Rome was not built in a day, the
culture in SMU cannot be established in a day,” she
says.
Along that line is the debate on SMU students
losing their difference. Student Initiatives Secretary
Yin Yin feels that the onus lies on the individual
and not the school.
She explains: “I think the question shouldn’t be
so much what SMU can do to help the students
become different, it’s about what the students
can do to gain back that difference, and to give
themselves that edge. The reason why SMU
students are losing their difference is a lot to do
with complacency. We take for granted that by
merely being in SMU we have that difference,
but that’s not true. We forget that, just as how our
seniors fought and strived to give themselves that

difference, likewise that’s what we ought to do, and
that’s how we will get our difference back.”
Couple that with industry rumors that
“SMU graduates are all fluff and no stuff ”,
Communications Secretary Valmond Teng has
this to say: “I think that awareness is the first step
to change. While whether or not such rumors
are true, the fact that they are around is already
detrimental to SMU’s reputation.
Since we now know that this is the impression
that SMU graduates are getting, actions must be
taken to reverse such a mindset, and the only way
to do that would be to deliver the goods as well as
we say we can. SMU’s curriculum is extensive and
substantial enough to lend our degrees enough
credence in the world; it is now up to us students
to back it up with our actions.”
Putting the SMU difference aside, the more
pressing issue is to secure a job in these tough times.
Delphine suggests that a pro-active approach may
help. One has to be more proactive in securing a
future and not to take for granted that a job will
always be there waiting for us to accept it. That has
to be earned.
Another is to rely on networking opportunities
rather than blame the school. Because there is only
so much the school can do.
Yin Yin says: “I honestly don’t think it is their
responsibility (the school). It is our jobs and our
future that we need to fight for. It’s wonderful
that the school is doing all they can to help us, but
the ball is entirely in our court. We’re not here to
be spoon-fed. The sad thing is that, even with all
the help they are extending (such as the network
sessions and the talks) a lot of students don’t even
take the initiative to attend them.”
Still, there are other issues such as space constraints
that tug the heartstrings of the individuals of
SMUSA.
“We are trying hard to find ways to maximize the
utility of the resources that we currently have.
However, the fact still remains that we have limited
resources to work with. The councils in the other
two local universities, surprisingly, also face this
problem.”
“As much as we would like to provide more space
for students, there is no one direct solution to this
“Many a times we may have
concentrated a little more on
the “support” aspects of their
education, ...We will definitely
have to seek assistance from
the various school CBds to
ensure that SMU’s quality
of education remains
unrivalled.”
Daren Li Zhao Xian
Vice-President
problem. We cannot just add an extension to our
building and that’s it – the space is created. It’s not
that easy, and I hope that students will understand
that we’re trying our very best at our end.”
“Sometimes people think that the easiest way to
solving this problem is to reduce to the intake,
however they do not see that if we do not increase
the intake, we cannot expand, and if we cannot
expand, we will still be stuck with not enough
spaces. We need the finance, and the only way of
not increasing fees is to increase intake, or increase
loan of spaces out to external vendors. Either way,
we’ll still be stuck with the issue of a lack of space.
Sometimes the seemingly most direct solution to
a problem may not be so direct after all. There are
always two sides to the coin, and we must always
try to balance the pros and the cons to every
issue that we face, work it out one step at a time,”
explains Delphine.
Big issues like space aside, SMUSA can and strives
to create a better quality of education for students.
Daren Li, SMUSA Vice President, acknowledges
this: “Part of our duty is to oversee a student’s overall
well-being, and that includes their education.
Many a times we may have concentrated a little
more on the “support” aspects of their education,
for example more study space, more facilities with
LCD screens for presentation rehearsals. We will
definitely have to seek assistance from the various
School Events
school CBds to ensure that SMU’s quality of
education remains unrivalled.”
But the undenied strain that runs through the
thoughts of the 9th SMUSA ExCo seems to build
on the phrase “ask not what SMUSA can do for
you but do what you can for yourself ”.
Valmond says that SMU students should “Seize the
Day” no matter how cliché it sounds.
“It challenges everyone to live everyday fully and
without regrets, and I hope that SMU students will
cherish their time spent here, striving together for
our common goals and dreams,” he adds.
As for the President herself, Rachel Kok wants
students to “make full use of their SMU experience”.
“I personally feel strongly about this, because
through many experiences, it has indeed dawned
upon me in a very personal way that life is really
what you make out of it.
Therefore, to our fellow students, if you see an
aspect of student life that you think can/should be
changed, do take a proactive step to do something
about it, and SMUSA is always here to help.
Studying is important, but it’s also important never
to forget to take a rest, stop and smell the roses
around you, because while you’re busy burying
your head in the books all day long, you’ll never
know what you are missing out on,” she quips.
The purpose and what SMUSA hopes to achieve
will keep its members going. We just hope that
those are in line with ours.
Catch the full interview on
our newsblog @
http://theblueandgold.
wordpress.com/
The Blue and Gold • Issue 4 • Page 11
Higher Learning
Interview with Edmund’s
A interview session with our very own entrepreneur

TRUONG THI NGOC ANH

Can you shortly introduce yourself and

Divine?

I’m entered SMU in 2001 and graduated in

2005 and went into the baking business directly.
Edmund’s is my choice to be different from my
counter parts in their career path.

What is the mission and vision of Divine?

The vision and mission is to be able to provide

innovative and simple treats for everyone. We
could all use a little sweetener in our everyday life…

What makes Divine different from

other bakery shops?

The difference is in our ever improving and

changing menu. Each semester, we take feedback to
bring in things that students want to eat and we’ll
also remove those that they didn’t like. This variety
rather than (the element of ) being predictable.

The cakes that you are selling have been produced

since you first started your business. Could you tell
us how did you learn to bake?

Much of the learning was self taught and (through

the) exchange with friends who were into baking
as well. Books can definitely teach you a lot about
baking but nothing beats the hands-on experience
and the burning of tons of cakes in the process.

What does Divine need to improve to

sustain its business?

Being in a tertiary institute, there are long periods

of holidays so there is a need to expand and
diversify. We expand to achieve economies of scale
and diversify into catering for events. Our cakes

Page 12 • Issue 4 • The Blue and Gold

 Higher Learning

and pastries are taken one step further to allow for

better and bigger market exposure.

You are now both a bakery owner and

a financial service consultant. Why do
you choose to manage both instead of
focusing on only one?

I would say that I variety in life too. Being situated

at the café or related business would just make it dull
for me. The last thing I want is to lose myself in the
routine in everyday life. And since I have pockets
of free time because the café is semi-auto pilot, why
not make my time more useful? There can be lots of
synergy between the two jobs.

How do you deal with challenges in

managing both businesses?

Just through planning the week well ahead so you

know what’s coming. Time management is the key
for handling challenges. I think it is also important
to keep a cool mind when facing the stress from
work.

What do you do to keep a work-life

balance?

A heavy week can be dreadful but I would make a

point to take the weekends off and plan two long
holidays in a year to get a way from the hectic life
here. Having said that, I think I still don’t spend
enough time on the business because I can be quite
laid back at times. This can be quite contradictory
at times but that is the joy of running your own
business, because you get to decide what you want to
do and when to do it.

What is your advice for SMU students

who want to run their own business after
graduation?

Setting up your own business isn’t as simple as it

seems. A lot of blood and sweat goes behind the
scenes that people normally don’t see. But the fruits
of labour, when harvested, are definitely worth it.
All the best and pursue your dreams. Like I was told
once, it is not that things are difficult which makes
us fear to try but it is the fear of trying that makes it
difficult.

The Blue and Gold • Issue 4 • Page 13


“We work and think as a Family,
rallying around to support each
other – in work, celebration or crisis
. Steering Prudential Ahead. The last event for em-
..we are Passionate in every aspect
of work and play. We believe that
“everything that is worth doing, is
worth doing well”. “
Bringing it all together
Philip Seah, Chief Executive Officer, Prudential Assurance
Company Singapore Pte Ltd., shares on his family-cen-
tered corporate culture
1) Hi Phil, could you introduce
yourself to our readers?
Hello. I am Philip Seah. As the Chief Executive
Officer of Prudential Singapore, it is my overall
responsibility to ensure that the trust people have
placed in us - as customers, shareholders, staff,
agency force and business partners, continues to be
well-placed and protected.
Today, Prudential Singapore has over half a million
policy holders, over 3,500 financial consultants,
three bancassurance partners and approximately
500 employees. In addition, we also have a network
of hundreds of business partners
2) What is your vision for your company? What
are the core values of Prudential?
Prudential Singapore has been the market leader
in the life insurance industry for three consecutive
years. The vision for Prudential Singapore is to be
Asia’s Number One in providing financial solutions.
We aim to be the most successful life insurance
company - in sales, but as importantly, to be the
life insurance company of choice in the hearts and
minds of our customers; to be the employer of
choice and continue to attract and retain the best
talent, and in creating shareholder value.
3) How important do you think cohesion within
the organisation is to Prudential?
At Prudential, we have a unique culture that is
embodied in the “Mind and Spirit of Prudential”.
We are Results-focused in everything we do and
are proud of being number one in new sales for 4
consecutive years .
Secondly,We work and think as a Family, rallying
around to support each other – in work, celebration
or crisis .
Thirdly, we are Passionate in every aspect of work
and play. We believe that “everything that is worth
doing, is worth doing well”.
The culture of a company is crucial and the true
mettle of our people shows especially in times of
crisis. As early as April last year, we felt the pressure
on the business, first with changes in regulations
that affected a significant part of the business, then
the financial meltdown which started in September.
As a company, we rallied strongly and as our results
have shown, we have come through 2008 very well,
considering the state of the economy.
4) What are the company’s policies to encourage
this set of values?
It starts with the management. Within the leader-
ship team in the company, we work consciously to
build trust amongst the team – we have open and
healthy debates on issues while remaining com-
mitted to group decisions and we hold each other
accountable for actions and results.
We cascade the same set of mindset, attitudes and
behaviours throughout the organisation and use
both formal and informal platforms to continually
over-communicate the same message down the line.
We have, for example, numerous occasions in the
year when the whole company gets together – at
Employee, Executives and Agency Leaders Forums,
at the two key agency force events – Flying Start
and Final Sprint, and with the office employees, at
ployees is a companywide forum held twice a year.
At these different platforms, we reiterate the same
message and “One Force, One Prudential” has been
our rallying cheer for many years.
5) Could you elaborate more about Steering
Prudential Ahead(SPA)?
Steering Prudential Ahead or SPA are times when
we share the company’s key initiatives with our staff.
These sessions are held at the beginning and in the
third quarter of the year. They are important plat-
forms to ensure clarity on the company’s goals as we
provide the direction on where we are heading and
what we are focusing on in the months ahead.
The beginning of the year is the right time to share
our targets and KPIs for the year, as well as the
various initiatives that we will be embarking on, be
it product launches, customer initiatives or agency
strategies.
The second meeting is to take stock of the situation
– where we are in terms of meeting our targets and
the initiatives and “sprint” for the last quarter of the
year to achieve our targets.
6) What are some of the events that the company
organises to reinforce these values?
We conduct employee engagement programs and
employee communication sessions - SPA being one
of them - on a regular basis. As mentioned earlier,
these sessions are business-related and results-
oriented.
“We aim to be the most successful
life insurance company - in sales,
but as importantly, to be the life
insurance company of choice in the
hearts and minds of our customers;
to be the employer of choice and
continue to attract and retain the
best talent, and in creating share-
holder value.”
On the “Family” front, we also ensure that there
are enough opportunities for our staff to ‘let their
hair down’. Our social calendar includes the annual
dinner and dance which is a highlight of the year
and staff put up song and dance items. The Heads
of Department also put up an item by themselves.
As keen proponents of healthy living, (especially
important given the industry we are in,) we have
several sports interests groups, where staff partici-
pate in marathons, and other sporting activities
which they are passionate about. We also have a
unique practice – Birthday Leave, where our staff is
given a day off on their special day.
7) How much flexibility does the company allow
staff to achieve their desired work-life balance?
We prefer to term it work-life balancing…. It’s more
about balancing the demands of work and family
life. We all have family and personal commitments
and we encourage our staff not to neglect these. On
the other hand, we also stress that in years such as
the present, the company may need you to put in
more work, and we ask for the family to be under-
standing and supportive. As part of this ‘balance’,
we also allow flexi time , for those who may need to
start/end their work day later on a regular basis for
pertinent reasons.
8) How do you compensate and reward your em-
ployees while not making it over-competitive?
Everyone is an individual while being part of a
larger team.
As a global company, we have clear policies where About Prudential
remuneration and benefits are concerned. Everyone Assurance Company
has KPIs that they work towards and some of these
KPIs would include the success of how well a team Singapore (Pte) Ltd
performs. As such this encourages individuals to
support one another and others in the teams they
work with. Prudential Singapore
is a top life insurance
Personal interest aside, the family spirit in Pruden-
tial is very strong and everyone is encouraged to company in Singapore
help one another. It’s not something that you can and is a wholly owned
institute with monetary rewards – it is a value that
each person has to embrace to make it work.
subsidiary of UK-
based Prudential plc.
Naturally, we are very careful in our selection of As a market leader
candidates who join the company; and will not
compromise in selecting people who will embrace in investment-linked
our results focused family culture and respect plans, Prudential
teamwork.
Singapore Prudential
9) Does the company carry a ethical code of Singapore has over
conduct? And how are these enforced in the
company? S$5.2 billion funds under
management as at 31
Yes we certainly have an ethical code of conduct.
December 2008. With
This is imparted during Orientation program with
new employees, and a refresher is conducted with almost 80 years of
existing employees every year. history in Singapore, the
company services half
10) Could you share some of your work experi- a million policy holders
ence in the field to our readers?
with over a million
I have been in this company for over 30 years and policies with a team
my interest and passion for the business has not
waned; I continue to enjoy the challenges the in- of approximate 3,500
dustry and the job pose. I put in approximately 10 – financial consultants
12 hours a day at work, Mondays to Fridays. Given
the magnitude of the business, I am on call “24
and more than 500
hours” and while I have a capable team of managers, employees. Prudential
I believe in a hands-on approach and when duty Singapore is the first
calls, I will attend to matters at hand personally.
life insurer in Singapore
Having said this, I do observe that weekends are my named Asia’s Life
family time. My wife Christine and I have four chil-
dren; my daughter is working, two of my sons have Insurance Company of
just finished NS and my youngest son is fourteen the Year in 2000. Most
and schooling. My “Happy Hour” is when I return
home after work and have dinner at home with my recently, Prudential
family. It relaxes and re-energises me. My weekend won the Gold Award in
with Christine and my family is very important in
balancing my life. I am also very fortunate that the
Reader’s Digest Trusted
industry has numerous incentive programs with Brands 2008.
opportunities to travel and my family travels with
me whenever possible!
Worldscope
Chinanomics
It is one thing to learn about China from textbooks. It is another thing to learn about China from liv-
ing here. A running column on life in Shanghai.
ESTHER YEO
Shanghai, Land of Dreams.
The first thing I heard when I walked onto the
streets of Shanghai was a loud gargling sound
followed by a “PUI!” I sucked in a deep breath and
walked on, not wanting to look at the source of the
offending noise and smiled tensely.
Oh yes, welcome to China.
For all its shortcomings, smells, and offensive
sounds, there is a certain energy in Shanghai.
Wandering around the streets in Nanjing lu, it is
difficult to pinpoint exactly what the energy is, but
I soon found out my answer when I went for my
foot massage.
The masseur was a young man who hailed from
Shanxi. He was very polite, and a little quiet, but
started to talk more when he found out I was from
Singapore. He started to ask animated questions
about the little country I had ‘escaped’ from and
grew even more excited.
“Singapore! Ah, I want to go there someday.”
“It’s not very interesting. Smaller than Shanghai.”
“But it’s a good place to earn money.”
“Yeah, maybe…”
“Do you think I can find a partner there?”
When he left the room, I finally realised an aspect
of the energy present in Shanghai. For the many
migrants from the countryside and rural areas
of China, Shanghai was a land of opportunity to
improve their lives and also a stepping stone to
even better places in future- The Land of Dreams.
Shanghai 101
As mentioned earlier, Shanghai is home to many
migrant workers from the rural areas- a melting
pot of China. However, even though everyone
is Chinese or 龙的传人 (descendents from the
Page 16 • Issue 4 • The Blue and Gold
“Please walk on the left and stand on
the right, ride the escaltor in a civilized
manner”
dragon as Chinese like to call themselves), it seems
not everyone think this way.
We took a cab once and the driver started talking
to us, commending us on our fluent Mandarin
(well, we sounded much better than the American
students on exchange) and asking where we were
from. Without any prompting, he proudly told us
he was Shanghainese, and stuck his chin up as he
said that.
The guys snickered as they recounted how it was
easy to tell which girls were Shanghainese- the ones
who held their heads up high with noses in the air.
Seems like Chinese are not entirely equal among
themselves.
Tackling Shanghai, Singapore style.
In the one week I have been here on Shanghai
soil, there have been a lot of things to look at, if
you are ready to keep your eyes wide open. Little
niche areas which serve as excellent shopping
spots, coffee stops , eating joints are littered
throughout the entire city, ready to be explored by
the adventurous. It would do no justice to hang out
at the popular areas- there is just so much more to
Shanghai.
Of course the city comes with its rough edges. Do
not be perturbed by the smells of the sewers nearby
in the underground train stations, or the pushing
or shoving during peak periods in the MRTs. You
may curse and swear at the guy who runs forward
to snatch your cab or repulsed by the common
sight of spitting everywhere.
Rather, make use of the Singaporean spirit of
kiasuism and tackle Shanghai the Singapore way.
Shove your way through the crowd with a very
loud ‘让开！’ , and stand at the entrance of the
glass door, even though the sign says to give way
to alighting passengers. Keep running ahead of the
guy who runs ahead of you and see who tires out
first. Chances are, he will and you get first dibs at
the cab. Or you could always shove him aside when
he reaches the cab and jump inside.
Sounds strangely familiar, is it not?
Whatever it is, the first impressions of Shanghai
have left me with wanting more.
I can hardly wait.

All the World’s a Stage
ESTHER YEO
William Shakespeare wrote, “All the world’s a stage,
and all the men and women merely players;” in ‘As
You Like It’. One of the most widely quoted phrase
seems too apt, for the current global financial and
economic climate.
In just two years since the subprime crisis started,
the key players in the economic global stage have
changed- Some have been removed, some have
stayed but with diminished roles, some with larger
bits.
“Already, the influence of emerging
powerhouses of China and the
Middle East had been pervasive,
with China growing to be the
world’s factory and the
Middle East controlling
much of the world’s oil.
Many wondered if such a situation
would threaten the US’s position
both economically and politically.”
The First Act - Established Players
The key players are the often commonly cited
United States, United Kingdom, Europe and
Japan. These countries were viewed as the main
forces driving the global economy, with changes in
their domestic economy sending global markets in
a frenzy.
Things changed drastically in 2008. The
announcement of the collapse of Lehman Brothers
drove home the reality of the subprime crisis.
Here was a crisis that threatened to destroy the US
economy singlehandedly with the numerous side
effects it brought. Europe saw Iceland declaring
itself bankrupt with the threat of many Eastern
countries following suit. UK saw its pound fall
to such a level that it is almost on par with the
Euro. Japan is trying hard to fight against the black
hole of deflation which sank the country almost a
decade ago. And suddenly, it seemed as though the
curtains were brought down on the key players.
The Second Act- Sovereign Wealth
Funds, China and Middle East
When banks started announcing their troubled
financials, sovereign wealth funds went shopping.
These funds included Singapore’s very own
Temasek Holdings and GIC, the Chinese’s China
Investment Corp (CIC), the Middle East’s Abu
Dhabi Investment Authority went around bailing
out troubled banks which included UBS, Merrill
Lynch and the like.
Suddenly, newspapers were flooded with
commentaries on the safety of allowing such
funds which were flushed with country reserves
to buy significant stakes in banks, particularly the
US ones. Many argued that such funds should be
regulated as countries controlling these funds could
leverage on such buy-outs to extract favours from
US. Some argued for these funds by criticizing the
lax controls on the US financial industry, which led
to such drastic actions, and ultimately saying that
beggars could not be choosers.
More importantly, the troubling question was
whether China and the Middle East were using
such funds to further their political interests
abroad. Already, the influence of emerging
powerhouses of China and the Middle East had
been pervasive, with China growing to be the
world’s factory and the Middle East controlling
much of the world’s oil. Many wondered if such
a situation would threaten the US’s position both
economically and politically.
The flurry of activities soon died down however,
when the side effects of the crisis hit close to
home. The Chinese government announced a huge
trillion Yuan stimulus package to save the economy
which was hit hard by declining US consumer
demand. Singapore had to dip into its reserves to
fund a billion dollar stimulus package aimed at
helping Singaporeans and companies tide through
the difficult times. The Middle East floundered to
rescue Dubai which was on the brink of a national
debt crisis and had to cope with a sudden slump
in demand of oil as recession started to hit energy-
Worldscope
Obama deserves his solo act,
for the very fact that he defied
national convention to be the
first African-American
US President and taking
over an economy that
was in shambles.
hungry consumers who suddenly woke up to the
idea that conservation of oil helped the wallet a lot.
And just as suddenly as the SWFs came on stage,
they just as quickly exited the stage.
The Third Act- Barack Obama
Obama deserves his solo act, for the very fact
that he defied national convention to be the first
African-American US President and taking over
an economy that was in shambles. Hopes are high
for this man, who is being watched closely by the
world.
His act is not just about himself but also about
bringing together on stage with him the key
players of the global economic stage. First, he has
to prevent a greek tragedy from happening, by
restoring confidence in the US. Second, he has
to choose carefully the players to work with and
manage the delicate strings of each relationship.
Most notably, he will have to manage China
carefully, the biggest buyer of US debt and one of
the growing economic forces. It will be an uneasy
dance on stage with China, together with longtime
partners Europe and Japan, but the show has to go
on.
Final Act
The financial crisis has proven that no country is an
unshakeable economic powerhouse, and that truly,
every country is just but a player. Just as easy it is to
be thrust into the limelight, it is just as easy to fall
from grace. Who is left on the stage is as good as
anybody’s guess now.
The Blue and Gold • Issue 4 • Page 17
 Worldscope

Flashpoint: Gaza Strip

TALISA KAUR DHALIWAL

No two countries can better epitomize the concept

of ‘arch enemy’ except Israel and Palestine. History
has witnessed how sworn enemies wage countless
of bloody battles against each other. However,
time manages to somehow heal these deep gashes
and wounds by allowing reconciliation to take
place. India and Pakistan, though still not the
best of friends today, have demonstrated this. So
have China and Japan, Cambodia and Thailand,
North and South Korean, and America and Russia.
Somehow, it fails miserably in the ‘Holy land’. The
three-week war in 2008 waged by Israel in the Gaza
strip is a blatant indicator of the eminent wrath still
burning in the hearts of both Hamas and Israel. It
confirms once more of the want of each to eradicate
the other.

History of violence

The recent war in Gaza did not grip anyone by

surprise. After all Israel and Palestine has shared
decades of long and bitter animosity marked by
wars such as the 1947 War of Independence, the
Six day war in 1967 and the Yom Kippur war in
1973. The war in December 2008 was merely an
addition to the list, which the UN and America
have tried quite unsuccessfully to shorten.

Background to the 2008/2009 conflict

The Gaza conflict or Massacre, as it is known in

the Arab world, was sparked when Israel launched
a military campaign, codenamed ‘Operation Cast
Lead’, in response to the rockets which Hamas had
fired into Israeli soil.

Branded as a terrorist organization, Hamas assumed

political power in Gaza after emerging victorious
in the 2006 Palestinian legislative elections. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaza_Strip
Following this, in July 2007, Israel blockaded all
routes to Gaza. As Egypt sensed a heightening of
conflict, they took on the role of mediator and
brokered a ceasefire which included a six-month The Gaza conflict or Massacre, as it is known in the Arab
‘Tahdia’ (Arabic word) or ‘lull’ between Hamas
and Israel. However, neither of the sides respected world, was sparked when Israel launched a military
the terms of the ceasefire and what ensued was a tit- campaign, codenamed ‘Operation Cast Lead’, in
for-tat game straining the relation further. When
the ceasefire expired on the December 19 last year, response to the rockets which Hamas had fired into Israeli soil.
Hamas chose not to renew it as it blamed Israel for
not opening the border. Soon after, rockets and

Page 18 • Issue 4 • The Blue and Gold


Israel and Palestine has shared decades of long and bitter
animosity marked by wars such as the 1947 War of
Independence, the Six day war in 1967 and the Yom
Kippur war in 1973. The war in December 2008 was merely
an addition to the list, which the UN and America have tried
quite unsuccessfully to shorten.
mortars were launched into Israel and within a few
days Israeli prime minister declared war on Hamas.
The blame game
One of the main aims of the Israelis was to wipe out
Hamas entirely from Gaza. However, in the midst
of this, many innocent Palestinian civilians were
killed in the attack and the humanitarian crisis in
Gaza is dire. This is the central debate surrounding
the Israeli offensive today. In fact, it was in the
heat of this debate where Turkish Prime Minister
Edrogan walked out of the Doha round of talks
early this year in 2009.
Most of the world would be quick to have Israel
shoulder the blame for the staggering death toll
and destruction caused in Gaza. However, as the
saying goes, “It takes two hands to clap”. Therefore
Israel alone is not alone guilty of this humanitarian
crisis. Hamas should not escape scot free from this
blame game.
A responsible government?
Of the several duties a government has to fulfill
in times of war, protection of its civilians ranks
as paramount. It is the foremost duty of the
government to ensure the safety of its people and
not put them in the line of fire like what Hamas
did. Besides Israel’s claim that Hamas confuses its
combatants with civilians, additional proof has
surfaced on BBC of how Hamas fired rockets from
within populated civilian areas. Hamas was found
to be hiding in hospitals and mosques and cells
were noticed to be firing from neighborhoods in
Gaza City, Jabalya, Khan Younis and Rafah. This
flagrantly violates international laws. Amnesty
International for instance accused Palestinian
combatants of using Palestinian civilians as human
shield.
Which government, for the sake of their own
safety, puts their own people in the line of fire
during war? Only a very irresponsible government
would do that. It appears probable that Hamas
prioritizes killing the Israelis over protecting their
own people.
Recently UN aid agencies had to halt supplies as
Hamas had seized the aid deliveries at gunpoint
from a distribution centre in Gaza. Although
sources have no definite answer as to how Hamas
had used the supplies they looted, it is clear
that Hamas acted very irresponsibly in this case
too. The calculated risk they took of raiding the
deliveries caused Palestinian civilians their source
of sustenance for a short period.
Any thoughtless action of a government will always
cause harm to its civilians. Thus, the responsibility
of the death of 1,314 Palestinians should be borne
by Hamas as well.
A fact of war and Israel’s position
Israel’s popularity has plummeted in the
international scene since the conflict began. Besides
having to bear the brunt of the blame for the 1,314
dead and 5,300 wounded, BBC reported how
the Israeli operation left “two-thirds of Gaza’s 1.5
million residents without power, a third without
running water and medical facilities overwhelmed
and lacking basic supplies”. Amnesty International
blamed Israel’s military of breaching the 1980
Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons
when it used white phosphorus in the conflict. In
fact Israel has been accused by the United Nations
Worldscope
Human Rights Council of targeting Palestinian
civilians as well.
Israel has been and will continue to be held
responsible for a long line of things caused by
its attack on Gaza. However, the international
community should consider if their harsh stance
towards Israel is entirely justified.
When the Rwanda crisis broke out, the Hutus
went around massacring innocent Tutsis based
on a flimsy justification of ethnic differences.
Israel however, went into Gaza with a proper and
strong justification. Their primary intention was to
eradicate only Hamas as the latter was threatening
Israel by its rocket launches. It is no wonder that
Israel won the strong support from the Bush
administration as well.
If civilians were killed in the process, it was
something which could be avoided after all Hamas
had put their very own people’s lives in jeopardy
by hiding in civilian populated areas. The sad and
bitter truth of war is that death and destruction
always occurs no matter how hard it is prevented.
Perhaps, instead of blaming Israel entirely for being
merciless, the international community should
understand this one fact of war and understand the
position which Hamas had put Israel into when
they used their very own Palestinians as shields.
BBC reports suggest that it will take around three
to five years for Gaza to be rebuilt. However bearing
in mind the fragile and highly volatile relationship
Israel shares with its Palestinian neighbor, no final
conclusion can be reached on the fate of Gaza. For
peace to flourish in the Israel and Palestine, war
should be prevented at all costs. The war fought in
Gaza brought nothing short of misery and turmoil.
Judging from the geographical proximity of Israel
and Gaza, both Israel and Hamas should accept
that residing in peace is the best option as no one
can escape the other. Countries like America and
Egypt as well as organizations like the UN are
ready to broker peace talks between the two. All
it needs is for the enemies to cast their differences
aside, discard the long-term faith they had in war
and choose peace.
The Blue and Gold • Issue 4 • Page 19
CCA Pages
Fueling Your Run

...eating the right foods at the

right time will aid in fuelling
your workouts and will
restore your body back
to the optimum level after
that strenuous run.

JOYCE KOOR
Why do you eat what you eat? Other than the
rumbling sensation in your tummy, feelings of
boredom that never fail to ‘miraculously’ arise
when you flip open your BGS textbook or for a very
simple fact that the Old Chang Kee curry puff just
smells so good, we eat to answer the psychological
and physical calls of our body.
However, how much do you know about what’s
going in for your body? A basic reason often
overlooked is that food gives us the energy needed
for us to perform at our peak. This is especially so
for runners.
Whether you are an amateur runner who aims to
complete a five kilometer race without stopping or
an elite runner who pounds the ground more than
four times a week, eating the right foods at the
right time will aid in fuelling your workouts and
will restore your body back to the optimum level
after that strenuous run.
There is no fixed runner’s diet. Our mothers and
health-education lessons in primary school are
right; they have often said this phrase tirelessly,
“Just a healthy diet that is high in carbohydrates,
low in fat and sufficient in protein!”
A friend recently said to me that he had the
unfortunate experience of running with an
uncomfortable tummy, no thanks to his food
choice made during lunch; a huge bowl of chicken
rice, paired with a copious amount of ‘shiok’ garlic-
chilli sauce.
Sure, there are carbohydrates in the rice, but had he
chosen whole grain foods like oats, brown rice or
whole-wheat pasta over the white processed goods,

Page 20 • Issue 4 • The Blue and Gold


and a dish with less saturated fat, he would not have
felt the urge to run to the toilet.
Remember, not all fats are bad. Fat provides
flavour and energy, but just remember to have fatty
foods like red meat, full-cream milk and cheese in
moderation. You would want to pick unsaturated
fats, such as those in avocados, olive oil, salmon
with its omega-3 benefits and a pat of peanut butter.
These fats actually reduce your blood cholesterol.
And contrary to belief, peanut butter is actually
great food for runners. The protein and fibre in
peanut butter, if paired with multi-grain bread, can
keep you satisfied without weighing you down. Just
resist the temptation reach for that Subway peanut
butter cookie.
Another great form of protein is eggs and low-fat
yogurt. For the former, the amino acids will help
with muscle repair and recovery. Whether you like
them boiled, scrambled, poached or fried, eggs are
an easy way to add protein to your diet. Low-fat
yogurt offers calcium, which is beneficial for bone
and teeth health.
Frequent runners who are also at a higher risk of
stress fractures if they are not careful, and having a
healthy intake of calcium is crucial for runners to
prevent bone density loss.
In addition, do remember to throw in your fruits and
vegetables too. Those are packed with anti-oxidants,
vitamins and minerals, which are vital in preventing
cardiovascular diseases. Some runners’ favorite
include bananas and sweet potatoes to fuel up before
a run. There is a host of information available on the
web and from books that provide creative ways to
include more greens and color to your plate.
Before you lace up your shoes for a run, it is
important to note that you feel neither stuffed nor
starved. Having a full meal within two hours before
a run will lead to cramping, while running on an
empty stomach usually cause feelings of giddiness.
Snack on something that is high in carbohydrates
and low in fat, fibre and protein.
Some examples of food for a run that is going to last
more than half an hour include a bowl of cereal with
a cup of milk, a cup of yogurt with fruit or a handful
of crackers with peanut butter. Avoid rich or very
fatty foods as they may cause digestion problems. It
is also advisable to stay away from gas-forming foods
For long distance runners who
cover a mileage of more than
10km each time, the two days
before your run should be
high-carb days.
like beans and cabbages a day before you embark on
a long run.
After your workout, do replenish energy by
consuming carbohydrates and some protein as
a post-run snack. Research have shown that the
muscles are most receptive to restoring glycogen
within the first 30 minutes after exercise and heals
the damage done to your skeletal muscles.
For long distance runners who cover a mileage of
more than 10km each time, the two days before
your run should be high-carb days. In order to
prevent unnecessary weight gain, remember not to
increase your total calories, but just the percentage
of carbohydrates in your diet. It does not give you
a license to indulge in three huge plates of pasta for
in one sitting!
Remember to drink plenty of water and non-
alcoholic fluids as well as getting enough rest before
your run.
Do use the information here as a set of general
guidelines. Eating is one of the sublime pleasures
in life, so don’t get too caught up with the specifics
until you no longer taste your food and find yourself
grazing like a rabbit.
Last of all, for a refreshed mind and a healthy body,
do take a couple of hours a week to engage in a short
run with some friends. It would be a great time
of distressing and catching up with one another
(perhaps in more ways than one)!
The Blue and Gold • Issue 4 • Page 21
CCA Pages
New Section: CCA Pages
How your club can
contribute!
· It’s got to be informative - keep
recruitment/event publicity articles
to a bare minimum.
· Here’s an easy way to think about
the article - If you had a magazine,
what would you write in it?
· Do provide photographs and your
CCA logos in your article.
· The word limit is 1000 words.
Deadline 1: Book your slot along
with a line or two stating what you are
covering with us by May 2009
Deadline 2: Send in your article,
pictures ,and logos by June 2009
Design: It is fine if you guys don’t
have any designers. Just send the
word document and the pictures each
separately (please don’t paste the
pictures into the word document, it
takes away a lot of details.)
If you want to do your own design, do
let us know and preview in advance,
there are some restrictions on fonts,
size and resolution.
This is open to any student bodies,
and not only to clubs as the name
seems to imply.
Itching to write? Send us your article
to pubcomm@sa.smu.edu.sg today!
 CCA Pages

Triathlon 101

SMU Aquathlon (swim + run) was first conceived

around a small table cluttered with cups from
SMU’s favorite (or otherwise) tea shop in 2007.
The general idea was to provide a home for
multi-sport athletes in SMU where everyone
could share and learn from follow club members,
and to introduce to the school population this
seemingly insane sport that we affectionately refer
to as a lifestyle sport. Why do we call it a lifestyle
sport? The reason is simple. This sport does not
discriminate anyone and is open to all who wishes
to. Age, weight, height, gender and even disability
are definitely not an issue when it comes to doing a
biathlon or triathlon.

Racing in the IVP just days after forming the club,

the SMURTS nonetheless managed to come in
2nd, beating traditional powerhouses NTU and
TP. It was a sweet, sweet ending to the hectic
journey that the few of us had embarked upon. The
SMURTS now look forward to retaining or even
improving on their IVP standing this year in less
than a month’s time. Will we make it? We can’t be
too sure, but definitely every SMURT at the start
line of this year’s IVP will be enduring and giving
his/her all every step of the way. And that is the
most basic essence of a lifestyle sport: sheer grit.
A triathlon consists of three disciplines, swim,
cycling and running over various distances.
Distances Sprint Olympic Ironman 70.3 convincing the various parties, the green light was
Full Ironman
Swim 750m 1.5km 1.9km 3.8km
Cycle 20km 40km 90km 180km
Run 5km 10km 21km 42km
I believe some of you reading this article at this
point would be shaking your head, thinking “Siao
(Crazy) ah! Are they trying to ask for an early death
or what?” Well, it is precisely the satisfaction of
completing something which many would simply
shrug off as undoable that spurs many multi-sport
athletes on today. It was also this exact reason that
motivated those few around that table in 2007 to
form an official club, rather than just keep it at an
informal level. I’m not going to say that starting
a club was easy, especially due to the fact that
Aquathlon would be stepping into the boundaries
of the Sharks and the Run Team. After months of
given for our club. SMURTS is an abbreviation
for SMU Turtles, amphibious and steady. With
the right amount of training and determination,
anyone will be able to complete an aquathlon or
triathlon.
Swim
This is the first segment of a triathlon and it is one
segment that is different from many other sports.
Most of the time, swims are done in the sea, or
what we call open water.
Swimming is a sport that is very technique based.
Open water swims (yes you are swimming in the
sea!) require an additional set of skills such as
sighting (popping out of the water to locate the
buoy for directions) and drafting (swim behind
someone so that you conserve energy).
Having a good swim start marks the beginning of
a good race and like the famous saying goes “You
can’t win a triathlon in the swim, but you can
definitely lose it.”
Bike
After exiting the water, you head to the designated
transition area where your bike, running shoes and
everything else will be.
Usually, triathletes will use either road bikes
or triathlon bikes for this segment. There are

Page 22 • Issue 4 • The Blue and Gold


significant differences between the two and don’t
be shy to seek opinion and advice on these when
you want to get your first bike. You will not be allow
to draft (stay close to a cyclist in front of you and
save energy) and try to keep left unless overtaking
(sounds like Basic Theory Test?). Likewise, there
are a lot of cycling techniques that you can pick up
as you cycle with a group.
Run
Being the last discipline left, the finishing line is
within grasp! (Well, not literally, but thinking of it
like this helps. Trust me.) You will dismount your
bike at the line before pushing it back to transition
area to park it. That’s when you will get ready for
the next leg.
A lot of people run. What’s the difference in a
CCA Pages
I believe some of you reading
multi-sport race? It has been proven that running
this article at this point would
after cycling involves a different set of muscles; you be shaking your head, thinking
feel the most strain here mainly because you have
already slogged your guts out in the previous two “Siao (Crazy) ah! Are they
disciplines Pace yourself out and tell yourself to run trying to ask for an early
(at least jog!) all the way.
death or what?” Well, it is
Finally, you will make it to the finish line and be precisely the satisfaction
able to join the ranks of many who have already
done so. Remember to smile all the way… of completing something
Savour the finish. Completing a race is, simply put,
which many would simply
sweet. shrug off as undoable
Join our club and enjoy racing today; in the SMU
that spurs many multi-sport
Aquathlon Team, everyone is a winner! athletes on today.
The Blue and Gold • Issue 4 • Page 23
 CCA Pages
The animal-lovers on the trip
with us described the place as
kampong-like, and for many
of us, it was the first time
that we saw so many
animals roaming around
freely.
Page 24 • Issue 4 • The Blue and Gold
Paradise on Earth
(only Animals allowed)
On December 7 last year, People for Animal
Welfare (PAW) made its way down to Noah’s Ark,
a friendly private animal shelter in Johor Bahru,
Malaysia.
The animal-lovers on the trip with us described the
place as kampong-like, and for many of us, it was
the first time that we saw so many animals roaming
around freely. Indeed, this is not a usual sight to
be found in the concrete jungles of Singapore!
Sounds of “awwww... so cute” were commonplace
throughout the trip as we joyfully played and
enjoyed the company of the 700 dogs, 400 cats and
six horses in the animal sanctuary.
And, as I glanced around Noah’s Ark and took
in the sights around me, Berlinda Carlisle’s song-
“Heaven is a place on earth” came to my mind…
“Ooh, baby, do you know what that’s worth?
Ooh heaven is a place on earth
They say in heaven love comes first
We’ll make heaven a place on earth
Ooh heaven is a place on earth”
For the well-fed animals staying here, roaming
around on this safe and wide area does indeed
 CCA Pages

Raymund’s passion for stray animals inspired the humble beginnings of Noah’s Ark.
It was also this passion that drove him to practice dog grooming to bring in extra funds, while
seeing to the day-to-day running of the animal farm at the same time.

make Noah’s Ark seem like heaven on a place on

earth. From the three-legged dogs which survived
hit-and-run accidents to the race horse that almost
got put down due to injuries, these animals have
shown us that there is definitely love in this world
and the power of a strong will to live. This is all
thanks to the wonderful and dedicated team of
animal lovers here.

Founded by Raymund Wee, Noah’s Ark first

started off as an animal shelter in Jalan Kayu, In
June 2000, it was moved from Singapore to its
current location in Pekan Nanas, Johor Bahru.
Raymund’s passion for stray animals inspired the
humble beginnings of Noah’s Ark. It was also this
passion that drove him to practice dog grooming to
bring in extra funds, while seeing to the day-to-day
running of the animal farm at the same time.

Indeed, Raymund’s noble efforts are admirable,

pushing the benchmark for animal welfare activists.
Another remarkable achievement was in setting up
Noah’s Ark CARES (Companion Animals Rescue
& Education). Set up in June 2005, this non-profit
organization aims to reduce the strays in Singapore
through active sterilization, micro chipping,
licensing, and to support the 1,000 animals on
the sanctuary. Through this initiative, some of the
13,000 abandoned animals put to sleep each year
can find heaven in a place on earth- Noah’s Ark
Animal Sanctuary.

Inspired, Boon Sun, one of the participants on the

trip said this, “This visit has made me want to do
more for the animals and so, I am looking forward
to PAW’s next CIP trip – where we will be building
shelters for Noah’s Ark.” I believe he speaks for
many of us. Every initiative, even something as
small as a one-dollar donation could go some way
into making heaven a place on earth for the many
deserving animals out there.

The Blue and Gold • Issue 4 • Page 25

 CCA Pages

“Dari Kita Untuk Kita”

Indonesia is endowed with richness in cultural
diversity, as every one of the 18,000 islands has
its own customs and artistic history. This results
in hundreds of different forms of sophisticated
traditions with each having their own uniqueness.

The country itself is home to around 300 culturally

different ethnic groups. Their cultures have been
shaped by long interaction over the centuries
with Arabic, Chinese, Malay, and European
sources. Adding to the complexities, a multitude
of religions have blended together, enriching the
culture even more.

Contemporary Indonesian culture has recently

emerged as a synthesis of both modern pop-culture
and traditional culture. With the traditional
culture still retained, Indonesian culture is
evolving without losing the unique Indonesian
distinctiveness itself. This cultural mix is expressed
in the various Indonesian art-forms, ranging from these non-traditional genres into traditional music
music to cuisine. to come out with some new ‘fusion’ genres.

Music
Indonesia is home to hundreds of forms of music.
The assortment itself is very diverse, ranging
from kroncong to contemporary rock. One of
the most popular forms of Indonesian music is
undoubtedly dangdut. First surfaced in the 1970s,
it is mostly used to accompany communal dances.
Its popularity raises even more when it is widely
used in political campaigns.
Even though it becomes less popular now,
traditional music is one of the mainstream genres
of music. Traditional music differs by regions to
regions. In Central Java, gamelan is the prevalent
traditional music, which is played with an ensemble
of tuned percussion instruments. While in West
Timor, its traditional music, Sasando, is played
using an instrument made from lontar palm.
Contemporary music is also diverse as it embraces
rock, house, hip hop and other genres. Some
contemporary musicians incorporate elements of
Tourism
Indonesia is more than just a tropical country with
the sandy beaches where the sun shines everyday
so tourists can easily get themselves tanned. With
a vast archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, 300
different ethnic groups and 250 distinct languages,
one can expect a lot of tourist attractions in
Indonesia.
For the beach-lovers and surfers who are looking
for white-sanded beach, they can go to the famous
Kuta Beach, Bali. Those who have a desire to
explore the underwater utopia with its exotic fishes
can take one or two dives at Bunaken.
Indonesia is also famous for its great multitude
of floras and faunas. Interested tourists can visit
the national parks in Indonesia, such as Komodo
National Park which hosts the Komodo Dragon,
which is the largest living species of lizard.
Lastly, with the cultural richness, tourists can visit
one of the many cultural sites in Indonesia. Some
of the most popular sites are Yogyakarta, the centre

Page 26 • Issue 4 • The Blue and Gold


of of classical Javanese fine art and culture, and
Toraja, where traditional funeral rituals can still be
observed.
Cuisine
Extraordinarily unique. With its richness in
diversity, unique ingredients, and significant
influences from Chinese, Indian and Western
culture, Indonesian cuisine is truly a mélange of
cuisine that would probably amaze every food
gourmets.
Most popular of these cuisines is undoubtedly sate.
Sate is a dish consisting of chunks or slices of grilled
dice-sized meat on wooden skewers, served with
various spicy seasoning. Also popular in Singapore
and Malaysia, it originated in Java, Madura, and
Sumatra with the influence from Arabian kebab.
Tempe is another popular example of Indonesian
cuisine. It is made by naturally fermenting the
soybeans. Compared to its counterpart tofu, tempe
has a higher content of nutrients. Indonesians
usually cook tempe by frying it first before eating it
or using it as an ingredient for other dishes.
Padang restaurants can be found in many parts
of Indonesia. In these restaurants, they serve the
cuisine of the Minangkabau people, which is
served in many small dishes. Diners can select
which dishes they want to eat and they will be
charged accordingly. Most of the dishes served in
Padang restaurants are spicy, such as rendang.
Most Indonesian dishes are usually eaten with
sambal to add spicy flavors. Some people also add
bawang goreng, which is fried small red onions, to
some dishes, giving them a unique crispy taste.
Non-Indonesian cuisine, such as Chinese, Indian
and Western cuisine, has adapted with the
Indonesians’ tastes and become popular among
CCA Pages
them. For example, Indonesian Chinese dishes
such as buns and noodles are adapted to the
Indonesian culture itself and Western cuisine can
be served with rice instead of fries.
Indonesia is also abundant with tropical fruits.
Some fruits that are indigenous to Indonesia
are mangosteen and rambutan. One typical dish
made from these tropical fruits is rujak, which
is an assortment of sliced fruits with sweet and
spicy-hot rujak dressing.
A slice of Indonesia at SMU
With more than 150 active members (and
still growing!), SMU Komunitas Indonesia
(SMUKI) is the closest student cultural club
you’ll every get to Indonesia in SMU. The club
prides itself in being one of the active contributors
to the vibrant student life in SMU.
Ever since its inception, SMUKI has embarked
on a journey to raise the awareness of the
Indonesian culture through showcases of our
diverse traditional dances, music and costumes. We
have been invited to participate in various events
within or outside SMU. SMUKI also has its own
annual music production, better known as GAYA
(Gelar Budaya or Cultural Exhibition).
Apart from promoting the Indonesian culture,
SMUKI also thrives to foster relationship
between Singapore and Indonesia. As such, the
club extends its membership to both Indonesians
and non-Indonesians alike. Moreover, the club
annually holds Indonesian language crash courses
for SMU students, an introductory course to
Bahasa Indonesia. SMUKI has also been entrusted
by SMU Undergraduate Admission Office to
organize SMU Campus Talk, an effort by SMU
in attracting more Indonesian students to come to
SMU.
For the club’s efforts and contribution to university
life in academic year 2007/2008, SMUKI was
awarded the “Most Outstanding CCA” award
presented to us by SMU Students’ Association.
What are you waiting for? Plan your next vacation
destination now to indonesia. Or just soak in the
Indonesian culture by joing SMUKI.
The Blue and Gold • Issue 4 • Page 27
 CCA Pages

Social Entreprenuership is a Complex

and Ferocious Animal to Tame

“Social Entrepreneurship is a Complex and

Ferocious Animal to Tame”
For the past few years, social enterprises have been
sprouting like mushrooms around the world. Why
are so many people jumping onto this bandwagon?
Is it really the next big thing? Starting a social
enterprise may sound easy and appealing.

However, it is not as simple as it seems. A social

enterprise is like a ferocious animal to be tamed,
with many complexities with require a high level
of mastery. Think about it, setting up a factory
hiring the physically disabled to produce clothes
- what are the factors that need to be taken into
consideration? Firstly, these people are physically
disabled, which means that they cannot work for
long hours. Secondly, they require special training.
Thirdly, it is difficult for these people to master the
skills and produce goods of fine quality. All these
factors add up to low productivity and higher costs
incurred.

With strong competitors from China and Vietnam

where labour and materials are inexpensive and
abundant, it makes it even more difficult for such
manufacturing-based social enterprises to break
into the market. With the odds against them, social
enterprises need to work twice as hard in order to
be competitive.

Some people believe that customers are willing

to pay more for products that supports a social
cause. However, should social enterprises market
themselves based on that? Should quality and
cost be compensated by evoking pity among
customers? In reality, many social enterprises fail
simply because their products are not comparable
with their competitors and they rely too much on
customers’ sympathy.

Products produced by social enterprises should

at least be of similar standard as that of their
competitors. Moreover, products should not be
marketed based on their cause, but instead based on
the value they bring to customers. Having a social
cause behind it should not be the mitigating factor

Page 28 • Issue 4 • The Blue and Gold


Products produced by social enterprises should at least be of
similar standard as that of their competitors. Moreover,
products should not be marketed based on their cause, but
instead based on the value they bring to customers
The Blue and Gold • Issue 4 • Page 29
CCA Pages
affecting their marketing strategy. Unfortunately,
many social enterprises fail to see that.
An illustration in our SMU community would be
one faced by SMU Initiatives for Social Enterprise
(SMU-ISE). SMU-ISE is a club that aims to be the
regional leading innovator in the arena of social
entrepreneurship and thereby create opportunities,
as well as to value add both our ISE members and
society. They too face similar problems as mentioned
above.
One such project is Project Lil’ Mustard Seed
(LMS). It is a social enterprise that sells baby clothing
produced by poor Nepalese women. These baby
clothing are exported for sale in Singapore. SMU-
ISE manages the business and markets the product
in the local market. They face problems such as
high costs and low productivity as their beneficiary
comprises of single mothers who at times have to
take care of their children and hence are unable to
work. This makes it difficult to compete with other
clothing manufacturers who are able to produce
clothing at a cheaper price and faster rate.
In order to remain competitive, SMU-ISE helped
build up the LMS brand by coming up with different
range of clothing every 3 months, each with a story
behind it. This story illustrates the personality of the
girl who wears their clothing and portrays different
styles depending on the range of clothing. This is
to cater to the changing consumer demands and to
keep up with trends. LMS now sells the story of a
product to customers, instead of merely marketing
it based on pity.
Recently, they have diversified the production into
laptop sleeves to cater to students and trendy working
professionals. SMU-ISE saw this as a new business
opportunity and went to Nepal to oversee the
production of laptop cases which will be launched
in schools soon. It was not easy coming up with
solutions to overcome these problems. It is critical
to recognize and acknowledge the short comings
of a business before proceeding to overcome them.
Changes do not just happen overnight, it requires
both strategic planning and hard work to enjoy the
fruits of the labour.
Setting up a social enterprise is really not as simple
as it seems and requires more than just hard work.
However, at the end of the day, when you receive
a smile or a thank you from your beneficiary and
realise how you have changed lives with a good
business idea, it makes all the effort worthwhile.
Campus Arts
Honk!
Honkin’ Splendid
OWEN TAN

Two ducks, Drake ( Jeremy Wang) and Ida

(brilliantly performed by Ann Lek) worry about
their “fifth egg” being bigger than the rest. Their
fears are confirmed when the other eggs hatch to
ducklings that quack and the duckling from that
fifth egg only “honks”.

The duckling that “honks” – christened “Ugly”
(portrayed by Joshua Jonathan Lim) quickly
becomes unpopular among his peers, because he
looks, behaves, and quacks “differently”.

In the meantime, the Cat (a stellar portrayal of a

suit-wearing feline by Aaron Goh) takes interest
in Ugly, whom due to his relative size becomes
potential to be cat food.

Ugly’s disappearance, however, triggers a farm-wide

search for Ida’s missing child. Ugly does not realize
that he is about to commence on an adventure
that will bring him within seconds from being
eaten; meeting wild geese, a bullfrog (a special, and
hilarious performance by Margaret Chan), and the
love of his life; but most importantly, discovering
who he really is, and his transformation from Ugly
into a swan.

That in essence sums up the story of Honk! – The

Musical, the closing gala performance for the SMU
Arts Festival this year.

The musical’s success was played to the tune of two

sell-out crowds at Victoria Theatre on January 23
and 24.

Adapted from the classic fairytale, The Ugly

Duckling, the audience was treated to a
heartwarming tale of finding one’s identity – and
accepting others’ differences.

Great performances

There is no doubt that an immensely talented cast

was chosen for Honk! – Joshua Jonathan Lim is a

Page 30 • Issue 4 • The Blue and Gold


perfect fit for the role of Ugly, while Aaron Goh
holds his own as Cat, especially with the wicked
Play with Your Foodscene which left the audience
in stitches.
Credit must also be given to Natalie Balakrishnan,
who plays multiple roles in the musical – as
Henrietta, a friend of Ida’s; then as Queenie, the
pet cat who gets infatuated with Cat; and as Penny,
who becomes Ugly’s love interest.
Praise must also go to Ann Lek, who wowed the
audience with her solo, Every Tear a Mother Cries.
‘Great stage presence’
Audiences mostly had praise for Honk!. Paul, an
SMU alumnus who graduated in 2005, said, “I
Campus Arts
PHOTOS: OSL, EPHRAIM LOY
don’t see them as student performers. They had established actors Chua Enlai and Lim Yu Beng in
great stage presence.” the audience giving a rousing applause at the finale.
Speaking to The Blue and Gold after the musical,
He thought, however, that more funding might director Sebastian Tan said that the performance
have made the production even better. “Given a was “great” and he was “so proud of [the entire cast
bigger budget,” he said, “it will be hard to tell the and production team”.
difference (between a professional musical and a
school-produced one).” He also hoped to have more opportunities to work
with SMU in the future.
Some members of the audience, however, felt that
the budget was already sufficient. Chen Zhihao,
who has experience in theatre CCA StageIt,
observed that “quite a significant sum of money”
put into the musical from the lightings and props
that were used.
‘Very proud’
Sebastian Tan, the critically-acclaimed actor best
known for his role in Broadway Beng!, made
his directorial debut in impressive fashion, with
The Blue and Gold • Issue 4 • Page 31
 Campus Arts
Apostrophe: The Poetry Slam Show
TERRI-ANNE TEO
As part of 2009’s Arts Festival, Literati threw
a poetry slam on January 23. This was in joint
cooperation with Word Forward, a leading literary
community in Singapore. The judges for that night
included Word Forward’s Chris Mooney-Singh,
SMU’s resident librarian Ruth Pagell, MOE officer
Lim Siew Yea and renowned Singaporean writer,
poet and playwright Ng Yi-Sheng.
A Poetry Slam
For the uninformed, a poetry slam is a poetry
competition where original works are not just
recited, but performed in an interactive manner.
This unique characteristic invokes involvement in
the crowd, creating a lively and rowdy atmosphere
not unlike that of a party scene on a Saturday night.
Apostrophe
Apostrophe was of no exception. The event kicked
off with energetic performances by a group from
CHIJ St Nicholas Girls’ School, ‘The Word Must
Rock’ from Chris Mooney-Singh, replete with
finger-clicking and feet-drumming, and high
altitude acts by Ng Yi-Sheng. The presence of a
Channel NewsAsia team injected even more hype
Page 32 • Issue 4 • The Blue and Gold
as the crowd cheered and posed gamely for the
cameras.
By the time the competition commenced, the
participants and audience were raring to go.
Based on the theme of Time, twelve wordsmiths
from far and widebattled through three rounds of
elimination, judged on a scale of one to ten. The
group of contestants consisted of both students
and non-students of SMU, including a National
Serviceman, a published author and other unique
personalities.
This diversity was distinct in the medley of poems
that spanned across various ethnic backgrounds,
sports interests and lifestyles. The crowd was
carried to great heights of passion, as love poems
filled the room. It mellowed, when joblessness, war
and terrorism darkened the mood. Sexy humour
did the trick and flipped the switch, as the audience
and judges greeted racy poems deliciously torrid
with illicit tension, with exuberant fanfare and
raucous laughs, even engaging in naughty banter
with the poet herself.
With each bard allowed just one poem for each
round, the pool of contenders was swiftlywhittled
down from twelve, to six, and then to four.
The studio was fraught with tension as the final,
fantastic four slammed out poem after poem.
Each appeared inimitable, but a winner had to be
picked. As the contestants formed a line-up and
the audience waited with bated breath, the judges
made their final decisions and the scores were
tallied.
Winner of Apostrophe
Finally, with dramatic music pounding theatrically
in the background, Bhavya Khanna was announced
the winner of the night.
Consistently delivering candid poetry on hot
topics such as surviving joblessness, SMU and
the economics of life, Bhavya stole hearts with his
guileless eyes and natural, open demeanor.
When interviewed on his style of writing in first
person, and about himself, he joked easily that
his inspiration was probably bred by a narcissistic
nature. This proclamation was however debunked
by a quick laugh as he carries on, “No, it’s all just
for fun really,” explaining that it was just easiest
to write about a topic he knew best. Still, it takes
certain talent to bring form to words and more so,
to enliven them in performance.
As part of the Arts Festival, Apostrophe sought,
and found, an incredible band of writers who were
able to showcase their genius on a stage. As fellow
Apostrophe viewer Kelvyn aptly raved, “Passion
can definitely be seen in SMU’s blooming arts
culture!”
Indeed, this marks a wondrous 2009 for our school
of burgeoning young talents.

LAMHE (Moment) - ICS Dance Performance
TALISA KAUR DHALIWAL
The clamoring and the whistling were getting
louder every minute. It was a sign that the crowd
was enjoying.
‘Lamhe’ was the title of the dance segment put
up by the Indian Cultural Society, on January 19,
in conjunction with the Arts Festival which was
celebrated so vibrantly in SMU. This performance
was a prelude to the Kathakali performance which
was staged by the Bhaskar Academy of Fine Arts.
Lamhe was a unique blend of the traditional and
contemporary Indian dance in a backdrop of a
highly popular Hindi song from 1958- Ek Pardesi
Mera Dil Legaya (A foreigner stole my heart).
Though the theme of the song is that of love,
the purpose of the dance was not to portray this
perspective.
When asked about the significance of the dance,
Charu Srivastava, current president of the Indian
Cultural Society, commented that “It showcases
the evolution of Indian dance over the years”. For
this reason, the item was split into the traditional
Campus Arts
and contemporary segments to portray the changes choreographed and brought us participants
in music, movements and costumes after 50 years. together.
The costumes and the music were the major While dance has always remained one of the main
differences between the two segments. The dance highlights of the Indian cultural scene, the ICS
opened with a trio of girls clad in the traditional has explored the area of theatre as well. The drama
Indian costume called the Lehenga. This was production entitled Karna the eternal warrior has
accompanied by the original and traditional awed the audience with its display of talent in the
version of the song. genre of drama.
Transiting to to the second half was a performance
by a different trio clad in chic black halter neck
tops and sleek black three-quarter pants. The music
changed to a remixed version elements of rap and
hip-hop elements. These differences made it more
identifiable with the generation of today.
The audience made up SMU students, working
adults as well as young children accompanied by
their teachers. The item was well received judging
from the audiences’ response. According to Charu,
probably the way the two styles differentiated itself
and blended together for the finale, impressed
them.
It is ironic that the dance was choreographed,
rehearsed and perfected all within one week.
Accolades should be given to Charu who
The Blue and Gold • Issue 4 • Page 33
 Campus Arts
SMU Film Fest
Inaugural three-day film festival in SMU kicks off
“The festival was a
collaborative effort where
the audience would be able
to ask questions and find
answers with regard to
the direction of the films,”
explained Cai Yu.
Page 34 • Issue 4 • The Blue and Gold
EPHRAIM LOY
Getting the SMU <3 Film Festival started for the
first time this year was not only a challenge for the
organizing committee. It was also a frightening
experience.
It was the first time Lam Cai Yu, the main producer,
was interacting with the medium of film.
Speaking to The Blue and Gold she said: “I felt like
a fish out of water and was struggling to learn the
ropes,” as she recounted the process.
PHOTO: OSL
Lucky for Cai Yu, she had obtained valuable advice
from former Singapore International Film Festival
Director Philip Cheah, who was the adviser for the
SMU <3 Film Festival.
The inaugural event was born as a result of the
organizing committee’s brainstorming efforts on
what to include for this year’s SMU Arts Festival.
Apart from the screening of short films, it included
dialogue sessions on two out of three screening
days. These sessions, however, were impromptu

decisions which were initially contemplated but
were only finalized after directors had expressed
interest in having them.
“Watching a film is passive – you decide if you
like it or not. But the objective was to create
an interactive platform. The festival was also a
collaborative effort where the audience would be
able to ask questions and find answers with regard
to the direction of the films,” explained Cai Yu.
Apart from a dialogue held during the closing
where producer Ng Sian Ngoh and filmmaker
He Shu Ming shared their thoughts on the film
industry in Singapore, there was also a session with
one of Singapore’s up-and-coming directors, Boo
Junfeng.
At the dialogue, the concept of Junfeng’s 16-minute
short film Keluar Baris was shared. Shot over three
days, it was an autobiography and take on his army
experience.
Junfeng’s style of film follows strongly after
Taiwan’s Hou Hsiao Hsien. It is the element of
working with a non-professional cast that he
emulates which is evident in Keluar Baris.
The film also features second-year business student
Daryl Pan who was also present at the dialogue
session.
On how he scored the role, Daryl said that it was
through a teaching stint in which he had met
Alfian Sa’at, a friend of Junfeng’s.
“It was lucky to be able to work with a good
director. Before the film was shot, he had met up
with me to add in elements of my own character
into the film as well. This was possible as the script
was not written and fixed,” explained Daryl.
Other than speaking about his films, the director
also shared about various ways to obtain funding
for films and touched on the topic of film
censorship in Singapore.
One advice he had for budding filmmakers is to
“tell stories you are familiar with”.
“I believe one does need to be in touch with himself/
herself to be able to tell a story convincingly. It
is especially hard for young filmmakers because
there is only so much life experience we can tap
into sometimes. So if you want your sincerity to
come through in your works, then it would be
good to start with ideas and stories that you truly
understand,” he said.
This year’s inaugural festival also featured Kelvin
Tong’s Love Story for the opening, Anna and
Anna for the closing night including another two
of Junfeng’s films Katong Fugue and Stranger.
On why three of his films were chosen for the
festival, Cai Yu shared her thoughts on the
curatorial process.
She said: “It was through submissions and
recommendations. One of our members had
alerted us to Junfeng’s work and when we looked
at the films on his website we felt many had fit in
with the overarching theme of this year’s SMU
Arts Festival – Re: Present.”
The interpretation of the theme was thought out in
the representation of relationships such as those of
a mother and a son, friends, family tensions as well
as relationships with places and religion.
Junfeng told The Blue and Gold that it was an
honour to be able to participate in the festival.
He added: “Many of these works may have
travelled to places around the world, but I believe
it is always special when they are made accessible in
Singapore. I hope the festival has inspired an even
greater interest in Singapore films.”
Organised by the Office of Student Life (OSL),
the three-day festival had a crowd of almost 300
people. This included both working professionals
and students from various universities,
polytechnics and art schools according to Jeanine
Lim, Manager, Arts.
The event went well on the whole except for a glitch
on the opening night that caused a 15-minute
break in one of the films.
Explained Jeanine: “The technical problem was
caused by the malfunctioning of the DVD player
that was used.”
The event was described as unfortunate. Cai Yu
explained that the team had made several checks
Campus Arts
to ensure that the equipment to be used for the
screening was functioning well.
When contacted, OSL said they would improve
the event next year by finding better venues and
use better equipment.
Plans are also underway to have a longer festival
held on certain days over two weeks. The organisers
also plan to incorporate more short films into the
programme, particularly more short films from
the various tertiary institutions. A documentary-
making competition targeting tertiary students is
in the pipeline.
Filmmaker Loo Zihan feels that this would
encourage more people to make films. He notes
that film festivals are avenues for works to be
screened and seen.
“An effort to increase activity which encourages
people to create and make films is always
beneficial,” he added.
Daryl, on the other hand, feels that the festival
is a good platform to cultivate interest in films
although he adds that the quality of films that
would be screened and the publicity efforts are also
aspects to consider for next year.
Final-year economics student Don Tan who was
present for two out of three screenings said that
it was an eventful experience: “I loved the idea
of having a film fest. The dialogue session was
impressive and the films were enjoyable.”
But he felt that the event lacked a professional
touch which could be improved with more effort.
And that would be what next year’s organizers
could look into.
The Blue and Gold • Issue 4 • Page 35