Wong Fu Productions get rousing welcome

campus newspaper
March 2014
Engineering
Project Show
Game Review:
Path of Exile
Floorball team
clinches first gold
75 projects on
display at the biannual show
Check out ‘the
sequel that Diablo
deserved’
TP men’s team
defeats Republic
Poly in finals
3
9
Wong Fu Productions get rousing welcome
By: Laetitia Wong
& Alym Tan
A
merican film-making group
Wong Fu Productions made a
special appearance on campus on
Feb 10. Philip Wang, Wesley Chan, and
Ted Fu, producers of the acclaimed short
film and music video group have created
about 200 productions specially for YouTube audiences. Unfortunately Ted was
not able to make this trip.
Held in Auditorium 1, the event
was hosted by HOT 91.3FM’s wisecracking deejays Boy Thunder (Gerald Koh)
and Adam Piperdy (a Communications
and Media Management alumnus). The
turnout was overwhelming with fanatic
girls clutching giant banners scrawled
with their ardent passion for Wong Fu.
While the emcees teased the crowd
with outrageous questions such as “Who
would love to breathe and whisper sweet
nothings into their ears?”, four lucky girls
were eventually chosen to join the VIP
seating in the first row, having the ultimate privilege to get up close and personal with the stars.
Eventually, the stylishly dressed
dashing duo - Philip and Wesley, both 29
- was welcomed on stage amidst screams
and enthusiastic applause. The resounding cheers and high-pitched “I Love
Yous” continually interrupted the session
especially when tossed with well-timed
10
A lot of work is required
to make a successful
YouTube channel. Do not
get discouraged by the
sheer amount of work.
- Wesley Chan
questions about their sentiments regarding Singaporean girls.
“Singaporean girls are awesome.”
they replied cheekily.
The three friends started producing
short films and videos in 2004 when
they were students at the University of
California, San Diego.
They went professional after graduation and now Wong Fu Productions has
millions of fans around the world.
“It has gotten especially difficult
in the past few years. There are so many
people on YouTube now. Time, hard work
and patience are qualities that you’ll need
in order to make it big. Don’t think that
it’s just one video and you can get it to go
viral just like that. It is a very long process
to create a video and establish yourselves
as film-makers,” said Philip.
Wesley chimed in: “A lot of work
is required to make a successful YouTube
channel. Do not get discouraged by the
sheer amount of work. We enjoy telling
Photos: Laetitia Wong
stories through the short films we create
and the videos that we post on YouTube.
We wanted to transform the story ideas
that we had into something tangible.”
The group has collected a couple
of awards at the Cannes Film Festival and
Sundance Film Festival for their short
films.
After much deliberation, Wong Fu
Productions has finally made its call to
produce its very first movie. This decision has sent the Wong Fu fandom into
frenzy and a pile of donations have been
made to support the production of the
independent film for which shooting will
begin in May.
“They are the best production team
from YouTube. It was really nice to hear
their views and receive words of motiva-
(Top, second from left) Wesley Chan and
Philip Wang, flanked by HOT 91.3FM’s Adam
and Boy Thunder, had a lively conversation
on stage. (Above) Philip puts his fashion skills
to the test with funky props.
tion since I am an aspiring film-maker
myself,” said first-year Diploma in Visual
Communication student Lim Lena.
938LIVE talkshow: Has technology replaced face-to-face interaction?
By: Natalie Chew
& Victoria Chua
I
n an age of ever-increasing reliance on technology, how important
is face-to-face communication to
youths today?
This was one of the key questions
posed to an audience of over 50 students
from the Diploma in Communications
and Media Management (CMM) at a live
broadcast of 938LIVE’s youth talk-show
Campus. It was hosted by radio presenter
Angela Lim.
One of the show’s panellists,
Susan Sadler, Director of Sadler
Communications Pte Ltd said nothing
compares to face-to-face communication.
“Technology has enabled our
communications tremendously, but the
flipside is that people are connecting less.
I work with a lot of business people…
They’re over-reliant on email, Twitter,
everything.”
Fellow panellist and senior
lecturer from the Diploma in Law and
Management Benjamin Ang agreed with
Susan, saying: “I’ve seen situations where
I’ve had to mediate with project groups
that have had big blow-ups because of
online communications.”
While it was agreed that being
awkward was a naturally human trait,
most also felt that it was important to
overcome this.
CMM lecturer Kelvin Seah said:
“In the initial period, of course, it could
be a little bit difficult, but it’s like a set of
muscles – you need to exercise the muscles in order for them to be effective.”
Rachel Yeo, a senior CMM student who was part of the panel, said: “I
personally prefer face-to-face communication a lot more because only then can
people send non-verbal cues and you can
also anticipate their responses.”
Alexander Sun, a second-year student, said: “Whenever I’m on Whatsapp
or any social media for that matter, I always feel that I’m left hanging. If I say
something in a group chat and no one
replies me, I tend to ask myself if I said
something wrong.” He said in a face-toface communication people would have
the tendency to be polite and say something in response.
Stepping away from technology
to work on face-to-face interaction may
be a big leap for a generation that has
grown increasingly reliant on their elec-
Photo: Bobby Lu
The panellists (from left) Susan Sadler,
Benjamin Ang, Kelvin Seah and Rachel Yeo.
tronic devices. But Susan says they need
not stress themselves about it.
“At the end of the day, face-toface conversation is about authenticity...
forget about the techniques for a minute
and just think about being your genuine,
authentic true self.”
2
Stop Press :: March 2014
Freshmen with an edge
By: Sim Yu Xiang
L
ast year, the Polytechnic Foundation Programme (PFP) was
launched in all Polytechnics in Singapore. Over 200 students participated in
this programme in Temasek Polytechnic
alone and the general feedback from this
pioneer batch has been positive.
PFP is an alternative path for
N level students, who may choose to
get admitted into a polytechnic of their
choice for an additional year as opposed
to taking the GCE O Levels.
These students have to complete
a one-year preparatory course before
embarking on their freshman year. They
take common modules as well as coursespecific core modules known as Domain
Cluster subjects that prepare them for
their diploma education.
Neelam Umesh Kumar Nandwani
and Nur Linnawati Bte Kawal, both 17,
are completing their foundation year and
looking forward to becoming Business
Studies Grouping (BSG) and Digital
Forensics (DFS) students, respectively.
Neelam said: “This is a safer route
as I do not have to risk the O levels,
and I get to learn the basics and obtain
the required foundation knowledge to
prepare me for my first year.”
The additional year also allowed
her to get used to a polytechnic lifestyle
sooner. She added: “I always wanted to
go to a polytechnic, anyway.”
Linnawati, affectionately known as
Lina by her peers and lecturers, chirps
in: “In PFP I get to experience so many
things – things in a polytechnic are very
different from in secondary school. You
get to really take charge of your learning
and that’s what I like most about it.”
It is not all rainbows and butterflies
though, for both students said that their
stress levels were high.
In PFP, one is expelled if one
fails any module in the programme.
The students are coping by learning to
stay focused and managing their time
effectively.
Neelam says her lecturers are
helpful too. “If you don’t do very well,
they give you remedial lessons and teach
you step by step how to do it.”
The PFP students have their own
lounge that is open until 8pm on school
days, where they could study and hang out
with friends.“This lounge gets everyone
together and we play music and stuff...
and we create memories that will last a
lifetime,” said Lina.
Mr Faizal Zainal, 37, a lecturer
with the centre for Foundation Studies,
recommends PFP to all N level students
who meet the requirements. He said:
Photos: Sim Yu Xiang
“You benefit by securing a place earlier
and you will be better prepared because of
the Domain Cluster subjects as opposed
to someone who took O levels.”
He noted that in the beginning,
some students found it hard to cope
because things here are entirely different
from in secondary school.
“Here there’s a lot more collaboration
and project work, and it is important to
communicate well as they have to present
as well. However, with time and consistent
work, they gained a lot of confidence,” he
said.
To the PFP students, he sends
these words of encouragement: “Keep up
the good work! Some of you will be split
into different diploma courses but please
don’t forget the bonds that you have
forged in PFP.”
(Top, seated) Linnawati and Neelam (above)
are glad to have taken the PFP route.
Storytelling your business towards success
By: Siti Murnira Komari
E
ver wanted to start up your very
own business but found yourself
unsure of how to make it take
off ? A workshop organised recently by
TP Entrepreneurship Centre provided
just the solution – a good storyline to
feature or market your products would
move your businesses to greater heights.
The workshop was conducted by
award-winning film-maker, Ray Pang,
who has directed films such as Closer to
Me and The Team.
The former TP student from
Diploma in Interactive Media Design
guided participants through the
framework of a good storyline and how
to write a video brief for creative agencies
to produce one’s story.
The 28-year-old explained: “I think
the story is still king because you can have
very interesting segments to make videos
and stuff like that but at the end of the
day, I think it is stories that would connect
with the audience.”
Held over two Saturdays, the
participants consisted of TP students
who are interested in setting up their
own business upon graduation as well as
alumni with their own start-ups.
It was very hands-on as they
actively participated in the discussion,
I think the story is still
king... at the end of
the day, I think it is
the stories that would
connect with the
audience.
- Ray Pang,
award-winning film-maker
Photo: Siti Murnira Komari
Award-winning film-maker, Ray Pang guided participants on producing video briefs.
sharing ideas and coming up with taglines
for various products and services to cater
to a specific target audience.
When prompted on the key factor
that business owners would need to
understand when coming up with a
concept for their videos or advertisements,
Mr. Pang said: “I think it really boils down
to this question – what do they want and
need?”
This workshop certainly proved to
be a good refresher course for husband
and wife team, Ken Toh and Yumi Wong,
who have had their fair share of creating
a video for their business.
The pair is behind Eventive Asia
Pte Ltd, an events company specialising
in kids party services which was set up
about a year ago.
Mr Toh, 30, a former TP student
from Diploma in Computer Engineering,
said: “Learning his approach from how he
creates a theme to tagline to scriptwriting
would help us in our business so we could
apply a similar approach.”
Meanwhile, for TP students like
Shawn Toh, the workshop serves as
a good learning experience on how
storytelling has the potential to create
brand awareness should he set up his own
company.
Shawn wishes to set up a business
in the IT industry with his friends. A finalyear student from Diploma in Business,
Shawn explained: “I think it’s a very good
concept of using the storyline because it
is a way of giving example, a good way to
explain to others.”
He continued: “People would be
able to visualise that this is your story so at
this point of the story, this is where your
product comes in and helps to become a
turning point.”
When asked if he would attend
future workshops, the 20-year-old said:
“It’s a very good platform for me to meet
more people and network.”
Stop Press :: March 2014
3
75 exhibits at Engineering Project Show 2014
By: Siti Murnira Komari
A
lightweight furniture and a wireless classroom management system were among the 75 projects
on display at the bi-annual Engineering
Project Show (EPS) 2014.
A total of 21 Merit and 44 Commendation Awards were presented to
the final-year students who produced the
projects.
The Merit Awards were awarded
to the top five per cent of the projects
whereas the Commendation Awards were
given out to the next 10 per cent.
Mr Clement Yeo, the General Manager of Yokogawa Electric Asia Pte Ltd,
was the guest of honour.
He was impressed by the quality
Muhd Khalid (left) and Muhd Iman Nur
Haqim’s project on a Wireless Classroom
was tested out at the Singapore Chinese
Girl’s School
of the projects on display. “The students
actually have a very good feel of what is
required (in the industry). The depth of
application is actually quite deep, close to
utilisation.”
The Application of Lightweight
Structure 3 project used composite material made of fibreglass, polystyrene foam
and epoxy resin to manufacture fuselage
and furniture.
The team from Diploma in Mechatronics consisting of Kooh Wei Lun,
Kevin Mah and Sim Ghim Kwee was behind this innovative idea.
Wei Lun, 20, explained that due to
its light weight, the composite furniture is
ideal for the elderly and children who will
find it easy to move it around.
Being a relatively new product,
there were a couple of challenges that
the team faced when coming up with the
composite furniture which took them
nearly four months to complete.
Wei Lun said: “There are many ways
to solve it but there is no actual way so we
have to find out ourselves how to solve
different problems like how to make the
surface smooth, how to harden the sides
and the legs.”
The Wireless Classroom project
was done by Muhd Iman Nur Haqim and
Muhd Khalid from the Diploma in Com-
Photos: Siti Murnira
Kooh Wei Lun showing guest of honour Mr Clement Yeo, General Manager of Yokogawa
Electric Asia, the materials used to make lightweight composite furniture.
puter Engineering. It was a collaboration
with Panasonic which aims to design a
software-based classroom management
system.
In order to enhance the teaching
experience and maximise the efficiency in
a computerised classroom environment,
features such as Instant Messaging Chat
Room was added to allow the teacher to
communicate with the students.
The system was tested at the Singapore Chinese Girls’ School and was positively received. Muhd Khalid, 20, said:
“It made things faster and more efficient
since it connects everyone together.”
Having been at the helm of the
past few EPS, Mr Ng Yong Seng, Centre
Director for Robotics and Automation
Centre, has seen an improvement in the
quality, creativity as well as innovation in
these projects.
Mr Ng said: “We try to expose our
students to real-life problems coming
from the industries. This way we can enhance their employability and relevance
to the industry.”
Budding entrepreneurs raise club funds through bazaars
By: Sheryl Yeo
F
or two days in January, the
campus Plaza was decorated with
a colourful splash of goods and
transformed into a mini bazaar.
No, it was not a flea – the bazaar
Photo: Sheryl Yeo
was the brainchild of Roger Ng, the
director of business development in
TP’s Entrepreneurship Club, which was
formed just last year.
Roger, who is a second-year student in the Diploma in Business, developed the idea of organising bazaars to
support their club. “We are the pioneer
batch of executive committee members
(of the club), and we wanted to collect rental fees from vendors to sustain
our club activities instead of using the
school’s funds,” explained the 19-yearold.
Some of the regular vendors are
fellow students, hawking goods ranging
from novels to novelty food to even fragrances. In fact, Roger himself ran a stall
selling lifestyle gadgets, including smartphone power banks and presenters, during the recent bazaar on Jan 14 & 15. TP
students are encouraged to take up the
entrepreneurship opportunity by renting
the spaces for a nominal fee.
Not only students, members of
the public and external organisations
have come forward to rent the makeshift
stalls too. One of them is Ms Ivy Lau,
42, a retail associate for novelty food label Wel-B, which boasts healthy snacks
like freeze-dried fruits.
“Sales haven’t been that fantastic,”
admitted Ms Lau, “and that’s okay because we’re not here for profits but rather to raise awareness of our brand, and
we thought TP would be a good place
to do so.”
CoolGurt vendor Ms June Ng, 38,
shared the same sentiments. The homegrown frozen yogurt brand also has a
brick-and-mortar store in Hougang.
“Students are more willing to try new
brands, and our sales here haven’t been
too bad either.”
Over at another stall, where business appeared to be brisk, a wide array
of Japanese snacks - from Pocky to gummy candies to even soft drinks - were
heaped on the tables. The items, albeit a
little pricey, were a hit with both lecturers
and students.
“I got the Kit Kat at $10 for 3
packets,” said Leo Jia Min, 19, a final year
student in the Hospitality and Tourism
diploma. “It’s more expensive than the
normal Kit Kat sold outside but I’m will-
ing to pay more for these special flavours
like matcha and strawberry,” she said of
the stall, which stood prominently at the
entrance to the School of Business.
Roger sources for vendors through
his friends and lecturers, and also through
advertising on social media.
“I advertise for the rental stalls on
Carousell as well (an e-commerce mobile
application), and when the bazaar dates
are confirmed, I contact the interested
vendors personally,” said the budding
entrepreneur.
The young entrepreneurs are no
strangers to doing business – January’s
bazaar was already the club’s fifth on
campus.
school
Stop Press :: March 2014
4
Hard work and determination
brings you places
By: Tan Pei Yu
T
o many people’s surprise, the
2013 Champion for YMCA Plain
English Speaking Award(PESA)
competition, Rushan bin Abdul Rahman,
is actually quite an introvert. “I like
APPLIED SCIENCE
sitting at home and spending time with
my cat or cleaning my house. People
find it odd that I like reading scientific
journals or watching documentaries,
generally science and nerdy stuff, but
I’m perfectly happy with that!”
He is also quite the joker. When
asked about his method of relieving
stress, he answered truthfully and
cheekily that he sleeps it off. “Sleep is
the solution to all problems. If I want
to show people I’m healthy, I’ll run. But
everyone knows I just sleep it off.”
One thing he dislikes is the
idea of living life as it is – getting into
polytechnic just for a diploma and good
grades or going to work just for that
cheque at the end of the month. Rushan
feels that everything should be done
with a purpose.
“What you get out of school or
work is proportional to your attitude.
The better your attitude, the more
fulfilling your work.”
Having a deep passion for the
environment and animal conservation,
Rushan had been involved in a number
of conservation projects such as the
Juara Turtle Conservation in Tioman,
Malaysia. He was also sent to complete
his SIP in the Maldives.
Rushan recalls fondly the
memories and experience gained
throughout the internship, and hopes to
go back someday to feel it again.
“It’s hard to describe the feeling
of freediving in the ocean. You have
nothing but fins, a mask and a snorkel,
and you’re 20 metres deep in waters
where the seabed is 4 kilometers beneath
you.
“I can’t quite put my finger on
how it feels, it’s a mix of peace and
excitement and freedom in the deep
What you get out of school or work
is proportional to your attitude.
Chasing her dreams
Game software enthusiast
By: Sheryl Tng
J
ason Wang, a senior from the
Diploma in Game Design &
Development, discovered that he
had a flair for technology when he
set up private servers for the popular
MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online)
game, Maplestory, during his time in
secondary school.
“That was the moment when I
really decided to take on this path of
being a game developer,” he shared.
Citing video games as his passion,
he said: “I joined the diploma in hopes
INFORMATICS & IT
blue, but whatever the feeling is, I’m
definitely going back for more.”
Describing himself as reliable
and driven, the third-year Veterinary
Technology student is clear about where
he wants to be in the near future.
“I liked animals and was good
in medicine, and thought it would be a
good idea to combine the two to be a vet
doctor or a vet nurse.
“But I realised that I should do
what I like instead of what I’m good
at, so I’ll be changing industry to
environmental science and conservation
biology.”
So what does this achievementoriented individual has to say to his
fellow TP students?
“Stay true to yourself and who
you are. It’s like fruit juice concentrate;
be true to your flavour without diluting
yourself too much.”
of becoming an actual developer of any
kind of application. I’ve always had a
thing for computers but it was what you
could do in software that intrigued me
the most.”
An inquisitive learner, Jason was
able to sail through three years of his
education here at Temasek Polytechnic
with ease. He said: “I’ve always had
a very good grasp of the concepts
taught by my teachers. I would say
that my passion for IT helped me
tremendously.”
Jason’s deep interest in IT has also
taken him places such as to Thailand,
for his Student Internship Programme.
Jason also had the opportunity to
give back to the community during his
internship, when he visited and taught
the local children of one of Thailand’s
oldest tribes.
He shared: “The most important
thing that I have learnt during my time
at the village would be that, we do not
cherish enough of what we have.”
Jason’s plans include taking his
driving licence and training for his
National Service, but what he wants to
do most is “to successfully develop and
publish a game on the Google Play and
Apple Store.”
By: Joseph Dimmick
K
arina Loo, a 20-year-old
student in the Diploma in
Early Childhood Studies, cites
her love for children as her drive to
keep her going through hectic school
life.
When she was a Sunday school
teacher two years ago, she interacted
with the children a lot. “You just feel
that joy when you teach them. It just
gives me that strength to study and
work with them better.”
Realising that she was in the
wrong field of study then, Karina
Humanities &
Social Sciences
left her animation course in Nanyang
Polytechnic to chase her dream.
As treasurer of the student
chapter affiliated to the Organisation
Modiale por l’ Education Préscolairs
(OMEP), Karina is constantly kept
busy beyond school assignments.
Besides being involved in events
like Story Joy, when she and other
committee members held storytelling
activities for children at regional
libraries, Karina also participated in
the POSB Passion Run for Kids 2013,
which she claimed was one of the more
memorable activities during her time in
TP.
Despite her busy schedule,
Karina remembers the importance
of rest. “I have one day for myself. A
few hours to relax and not think about
school work.”
However, Karina says that dealing
with children is often challenging. “If
you don’t have the passion, you’ll burn
out easily. Like when they cry and all,
it’s difficult to keep going.”
Her work for children is clearly
a source of fulfillment for Karina, and
it’s certainly one that she hopes will
take her far.
5
Stop Press :: March 2014
trail
B-boying
his way to the top
By: Juliana Chia
Indeed, Leonard embodies the
true values of b-boy with his humility
and steadfastness. When asked what
are some traits B-Boys should possess
in order to succeed, Leonard remarked
that dancers should be more humble
in order to be able to give off positive
“vibes”.
“I think as a B-Boy you have to
learn to put down your ego and learn
to be humble.” said Leonard sincerely.
For him, the most important trait that a
B-Boy must have is humility. “After all,
b-boy is about making peace, love, fun
and unity.”
His parents are also supportive of
his passion, said Leonard, recounting
how his father even encouraged him to
learn dance in the US.
Future plans for Leonard include
teaching dance, but he says that he has
more to learn before he can
teach others.
D
ivya d/o Sambathu, 21, is an
artist, a henna artist to be exact.
Influenced by her mother she
started learning as she watched her
mum practise. “I had an interest in art
since young and I will look at how my
mum did Henna designs on me and I
learnt and slowly got the hang of it.”
She began her journey just like everyone else, “ I started drawing designs
at around nine years old with pencil and
paper; only started practising at 12 years
old and professionally at 16 by designing for family and friends.”
The second-year student has taken her hobby a step further by working
part-time at Saheli Bridal House, for
more than three years.
As a Hospitality and Tourism
management student, working in the
Bridal House is not exactly foreign to
Divya. She enjoys being in the frontline
and interacting with customers.
“My bridal clients come from different cultures, Malay, Arabic and Indian, and they have different expectations
on Henna art as compared to my own
tradition. I get to learn and understand
about the different cultures,” said Divya.
The bridal house also gave her
lessons to improve her skills as a henna
artist. There is no particular designing
rules that she follows and instead just
lets her creativity flow.
“I usually do free drawing and am
mainly inspired by floral and Arabic designs.”
She believes that henna art will
continue as a hobby while she hopes to
work in the hotel industry or become a
cabin crew in the future.
For now, she juggles her job and
studies, working three to four
days a week. “I’ve learnt to balance it well. It’s all about proper
planning,” she said.
Fashion is her passion
By: Laetitia Wong
C
lad in black for the interview,
Josephine Quek smiles brightly
through her matching black
specs.
Last year, the second-year Apparel
Design and Merchandising student
emerged the winner of the Japan
Creative Centre’s (JCC) sustainable
fashion competition and won herself
an all-expenses-paid trip around Japan.
The brilliant design that was the
root of Josephine’s victory was a capelike dress featuring exquisite stitching
of Japan’s cityscape and nature.
“The design is all about society’s
growth. Our society is drastically overwhelming nature, and the way I designed the garment is to wake people
up, to make them see what is really going on in the world.”
Talking about her experiences
as a design student, Josephine admits that the going does get tough
sometimes.“The fashion industry is
definitely competitive, but in a way
competitive is good, because it challenges a person to be more innovative,
to create better things.”
As design has always been in her
blood, the 19-year-old dreams big, by
starting small.
“I want to start my own brand to
sell my own designs, not clothes, but
‘cute things’,” she said.
“I aspire to have my own brand,
marketed and sold through online platforms. I believe that you should do
things because they really motivate you,
and you are passionate about. Then it
makes it seem less like work and a lot
more like a hobby that you love.”
DESIGN
ENGINEERING
I think what I learnt
the most is that
hard work matters
and when you do
something, you have
to do your best.
By: Joceline Loo
BUSINESS
O
n the dance floor, Leonard
Ng is better known as
B-Boy Leonard, the reigning
champion of the Red Bull BC One
Singapore Cypher competition held last
year.
B-boy, which means break-boy, is
a special form of dance more commonly
known as breakdancing.
The final-year Green Building
and Sustainability student went on to
represent Singapore at the Red Bull
BC One Asia Pacific Regional Final in
Sept last year at Tokyo, Japan, where he
battled against other dancers (known as
B-Boys) from Malaysia, Hong Kong,
Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
There, Leonard was pitted against
Taisuke Nonaka, world-renowned
b-boy dancer from Japan.
Although Leonard lost to Taisuke,
the 21-year-old is grateful for the
experience and opportunity to compete
in one of the most prestigious b-boy
dance competitions.
Leonard
has
represented
Singapore at the global level more than
four times last year for international
b-boy competitions.
He said: “You will gain experience
and learn from each other. I think what
I learnt the most is that hard work
matters, and when you do something,
you have to do your best. You thought
you’ve worked hard, but when you’ve
travelled and seen more, you realise
they’ve (the other dancers) worked even
harder than you have.”
Leonard’s first brush with dance
occurred when he watched his older
sister, who was a hip-hop dancer
with the Temasek Polytechnic Dance
Ensemble (TPDE).
He started dancing in Sec 2 and
was the vice-chairman
of the modern dance
group. It was
not
until
Sec 4 that
Leonard
started to take his interest in dance
seriously along with a group of likeminded friends.
Upon enrolling at TP, he
immediately signed up for auditions
with TPDE at the annual Co-Curricular
Activities (CCA) Recruitment Drive
held for all TP students.
During his second year at TP,
Leonard became part of the main
committee of TPDE and assumed the
role of Publicity Head.
The humble dancer credits
TPDE as being a constant source of
inspiration for him.
Said Leonard: “TPDE is not just
B-boying itself. You get to know a lot
of other dance genres and you get to
interact with a lot of people. When
you talk to them, you will learn more how they all started and why they love
dancing. You learn from each other.”
The henna artist
Stop Press :: March 2014
6
TP OPENHOUSE 2014
Temasek Polytechnic held its annual Open House on Jan
9 to 11. Potential TP students from secondary schools
were brought around campus to learn more about the
various diplomas offered by TP. They also experienced
the fun side of campus life.
Two secondary school girls taking part
in a radio demo at Mediabiz Studios.
TP students and visitors got together spontaneously to dance along to the school song at the main
plaza. Visitors were also encouraged to take selfies at the mass selfie ground.
IIT iGuides dancing along to TP’s school
song and cheering the visitors.
Throngs of students and parents going from school to school
and engaging student volunteers with their enquiries.
TP Salvo Drums put on a vibrant,
energetic show.
A student puts the finishing touches to the Design Wall mural facing the
Triangular Garden.
Photos, Text & Layout: Bobby Lu, Alym Tan, Siti Murnira, Laetitia Wong, Juliana Chia.
Engineering School’s iGuides with their
DIY balloon sculptures.
iGuides dressed in their school colours entertain all with the TP
mass dance.
mind
scape
Stop
2008
StopPress
Press::::June
March
2014
7
The closer you look,
the less you see
Let’s start believing in Magic again.
By: Darren Loy
A
couple of years back, people
would have heard of magicians
like David Copperfield, Houdini,
and Lennart Green.
Today, many more names have
joined the list – David Blaine, Criss
Angel, Cyril Takayama and many more.
Newer and younger magicians are
popping out of nowhere, kind of like
magic!
Magic has even made it into the
movies. No, I am not referring to Harry
Potter.
Some of the sharper readers might
have spotted that the heading for this
article was taken from Now You See Me,
a recent movie about magicians stealing
from the rich and giving to the poor.
Another notable movie regarding
magic would be The Incredible Burt
Wonderstone, a comedy about an old
time magician trying to keep up with
modern times and competing with new
daredevil magicians.
In Singapore today, magic has
influenced enough youths to nuture a
new generation of magicians, with some
even going professional and taking part
in international competitions.
Some of the youths have also
formed magic clubs in Singapore, ranging
from CCA clubs in different polytechnics
to just a group of magicians who regularly
meet up to perform and exchange skills.
Street Magic Weekly (SMW) is one
such group.
This group of young magicians
decided to hone their craft by performing
Street Magic, a genre of magic that is
typically performed without any grand
illusions using items that people use every
day.
It originally started off with six
magicians meeting up on a weekly basis
to perform and learn from each other.
Through other youth events such
as the SHINE Youth Festival, the group
gradually expanded with more teens
getting roped into magic.
SMW then decided that there
should be a goal to accomplish, a legit
reason or a motivation for the magicians
to perform.
Hence, SMW started X’Mas Magic,
an annual event during Christmas where
the magicians go all around Sentosa
performing and trying to “collect” one
thousand smiles by taking photos with
their audiences.
The goal of X’Mas Magic was to
share the art of magic during Christmas
and brighten up everyone’s day.
I am a magic enthusiast myself,
learning a pretty decent amount of magic
effects and spending a large part of my
Getting fooled by
a magic trick is to
me, like a child
riding the plane for
the first time.
My Space is for any TP student to share
his or her thoughts and experiences. You
are invited to write an article of about 600
words.
Please write to MySpace.StopPress@
gmail.com with subject heading “Mindscape”. Articles will be edited for content
and length.
allowance on cards, coins, books and
DVDs.
Why did I get roped in? Perhaps it
was my natural curiosity of wanting to
know how the effects were done.
More importantly however, getting
fooled by a magic trick is to me, like a
child riding the plane for the first time.
The sense of awe and wonderment
of how something so heavy can fly
into the air and transport people across
continents.
That sense of wonder is what every
audience should feel after watching a
good magic show.
With all our technological advances,
humans are maturing faster and losing
their sense of wonderment early.
So sometimes, they need a little
something to awe them, to make them
believe that magic exists.
The essence of magic lies not in
the illusion itself, but the wonder that it
creates in people of all ages.
We all have our own little bits of
magic up our sleeves.
Don’t search too hard for that bit
of magic because remember; the closer
you look, the lesser you see.
Keep an open mind and strive for perfection
By: Josiah Ang
A
t the start of 2014, fresh debates
came up over whether we should
be proud of Singapore and being
Singaporean.
The whole debate started when
Stephanie Koh, who is also known as
Steph Micayle, a finalist in the K-pop Star
Hunt 3, said in a Razor TV interview, “I
don’t feel proud to be a Singaporean.”
This sparked off a flurry of online
activity, with netizens attacking Stephanie
for the comment.
Netizen limrobert87 said: “You are
a disgrace to Singapore by saying that you
are not proud to be Singaporean.”
In defence of her statement,
Stephanie later uploaded a YouTube
video titled “Why I am not proud to be a
Singaporean.”
In the video, she listed down points
that she felt justified her statement that
she was not proud to be a Singaporean.
One of the points that she raised in
the video was the fact that majority of
Singaporeans glorify jobs that pay well.
Another point that she made in the
video was that “Singapore has no creative
people”. She made the distinction that
she was not talking about having a lack
of talent in Singapore, but rather the fact
that the Singaporean education system
stifles any attempt at the creation of
anything out of the norm.
She also pointed out that the
Singaporean education system values
grades more than anything else and
because of that, creative people in
Singapore have difficulty getting places in
universities unless they are book smart.
She ended off her video by saying:
“ I believe it’s time for Singaporeans to
see a fresh perspective of the society
and know that it’s not perfect. It’s a great
place but it’s not perfect. Fine, you can is that Singapore is not a developing
be proud to be Singaporean but don’t country and comparing these countries
condemn me for not being proud to be with Singapore is not a fair argument.
I believe that while our country is a
Singaporean.”
great place to live in, we as Singaporeans
have to take a good hard look at the place
we live in and think about how we can
make it better.
Even though I may draw hate from
people, I have to say this. No country
in the world is perfect, and Singapore is
no exception. There is always room for
improvement and it is this striving for
improvement that makes human kind
unique.
We should not hammer people just
because they have a different view. Having
Personally, as a Singapore citizen open and honest debates about the
who is about to serve National Service shortcomings of our society and culture
(NS), I do not take offence at anything is the only way that we can advance.
As youths, I strongly believe that
that Ms Koh said in her video.
I believe that she has made valid we should strive to be the change for the
points that other Singaporeans should better.
We should be open minded about
consider.
The issue that I have would be with other people’s opinions and consider
those who speak up to defend Singapore, their point of views before bashing them.
We should always strive to bring
saying that we have a much better life
than people in developing countries. The our nation as close to perfect as we can
problem I have with such statements for the sake of all future Singaporeans.
Singaporeans have
to take a good hard
look at the place
we live in and think
about how we can
make it better.
8
Stop Press :: March 2014
Engineering students invent hearing test app
Photos: Sheryl Tng
(From left) Breandon Chien, Jonathan Wee and Lim Kian Hwee, the team behind the app.
By: Sheryl Tng
I
f you have the habit of listening to
loud music on your earphones over
extended periods of time, you might
just be suffering from noise-induced
hearing loss.
This worrying issue, which is
becoming increasingly common among
youths today, inspired three students from
the Diploma in Biomedical Engineering
– Breandon Chien, Lim Kian Hwee and
Jonathan Wee – to invent a hearing test
app.
“We created this app to raise
more awareness among the public about
hearing loss. Apart from listening to loud
music, age is also one of the main causes
of hearing loss. We hope that more adults
will have their hearing checked regularly to
spot signs of hearing loss,” says Jonathan.
The Hearing Test app was generated
through the use of Eclipse, a computer
programming software that develops
applications in a general-purpose
computer programming language called
Java, a hearing test system and a graphic
user interface.
The app comprises many useful
features. Upon entering their names and
NRIC, users are able to access the app’s
About page and Help menu. The About
Creating vivid visuals with
the VSCO cam app
The hearing test app is useful to
clinicians too. They will be able to access
their patients’ test results through the app
as well.
“People use different earpieces,
hence the audio levels that they hear might
differ from one another,” Jonathan says.
Hence, a calibration menu is also included
for clinicians to customise the level of
frequency and decibels in the hearing test,
ensuring that the test results are accurate.
With the app’s sleek graphic user
interface and user-friendly features, the
app was given a rating of 4.5 out of 5
stars on the Google Play store.
Jonathan shares: “Some of the users
provided us with really useful feedback
about the app. We are in the midst of
discussing with our supervisors about
how we can further improve the app.”
The Hearing Test app is available
for download from the Google Play store
and is compatible with Android devices
running on Android 3.0 and up.
The best of both worlds:
Virtual games come to life
By: Natalie Chew
By: Sheryl Tng
E
ver wondered why some of your
friends hashtag “#vscocam” on
their Instagram pictures? Well,
your friends are most likely users of the
VSCO Cam app.
VSCO, which stands for Visual
Supply Company and is pronounced
VisCo, started out with VSCO Film,
offering film emulation tools. The
company later developed VSCO Cam,
which contains a selection of presets and
simple editing tools.
Joshua Gan, 20, a final-year
Communications and Media Management
student, has been a fan of VSCO Cam
ever since it debuted in 2012.
He said: “I found out that VSCO
was in the midst of producing VSCO Cam
while checking out VSCO Film. When
VSCO Cam was finally available, I knew
I had to get it.”
Joshua’s course mate, Tang Sook Yi,
19, has also taken to VSCO.
“VSCO Cam is my go-to app for
phone photography. I think that the filters
they have are much better than the ones
on Instagram,” she shared.
Out of all the apps available in the
highly saturated filter apps market, why
VSCO Cam? Joshua replied: “I feel that
page includes a short description about
the purpose of the app, while the Help
menu teaches users how to conduct the
hearing test correctly as well as how to
read the results from the audiogram.
Prior to the start of the test, users
will be prompted to insert a headset.
The first component requires users to go
through eight levels of frequency tests for
each ear. The second part of the hearing
test requires users to press the “respond”
button whenever they hear a beeping
sound.
A malingering detection system
is activated during the second part of
the hearing test to prevent users from
providing any false information during
the test.
“The malingering detection system
which we developed is something that
we’re really proud of. Users will be
prompted with a message that says
‘malingering detected’ whenever there are
inconsistent responses during the test.
Users will then have to re-do the test. This
system is put in place to ensure that the
results are credible,” says Kian Hwee.
Upon completing the hearing test,
a dialogue box will appear and indicate
the level of hearing loss that the user is
facing. Those found to be suffering from
a certain level of hearing loss would be
advised to consult an audiologist.
I
Photo: VSCO
their filters are richer and different. Plus, I
like that they offer a large variety of filters
for me to choose from,”
Determined to achieve the right
“look” for their photos, both students
went on to purchase the full version of
the app.
On the other hand, Muhajir Nawan,
21, downloaded the free version of the
app, which still packs a decent range of
impressive filters enough to satisfy the
appetites of the Instagram-hungry masses.
As a third-year Visual Communication
student majoring in Photography, Muhajir
appreciates photo apps that cater to
photographers like himself.
He said: “I like that VSCO Cam
offers essential photo editing tools such
as adjusting the highlights, shadows and
saturation of a photo.”
magine this: You’re alone in a
windowless room with no idea how
you got in there, and the only way out
is through a locked door. Of course, the
key is nowhere to be found, and so you
must plan your next course of action.
What will you do?
Such a scenario is likely to be
familiar to fans of virtual reality escape
room games, where the goal of the game
is, naturally, to escape a locked room using
only your wits and the items in the room.
These games, which are usually
played via web browsers or as smartphone
apps, have recently taken form as a
physical game, generating strong interest
from escape game enthusiasts and curious
beginners alike.
But what makes these real-life
escape games so intriguing to gamers?
Mr John Teng, the General Manager
of the recently-opened Freeing SG outlet
thinks he has the answer.
“Apart from the usual forms of
entertainment such as watching movies,
real-life escape games is getting more
popular because it’s a new form of
entertainment which involves gaming and
teamwork.”
What sets it apart from the virtual
Photo: Freeing SG
games is the fact that everything is real,
adds Mr Teng.
“Actual props, furniture and fittings
are used to make sure that players are
immersed in the gaming environment
rather than looking at the scenery through
a screen.”
Indeed, it is quite the leap from
the usual point-and-click or touchscreen
mediums that most gamers are used to
dealing with, but Mr Teng says the leap
combines the best of both worlds as it
helps players connect with one another in
real life as well.
“Activities such as paintball originated
from virtual games, so we thought about
bringing live gaming to a new form. Since
the idea actually comes from a web browser
game, we brought the web browser escape
game out to real life so that people can get
together and play.”
9
Stop Press :: March 2014
Game Review:
Dark Dungeons, Deep Gameplay
By: Theron Ho
P
ath of Exile, GameSpot’s PC
Game of the Year 2013, is aptly
summed up by the accolades it
has received. Hailed as “the sequel that
Diablo deserved” and “the free-to-play
Diablo”, the game’s open beta garnered
two million subscribers in two months,
and many more since its full release in
October.
Developed by Grinding Gear
Games as “a game we’d want to play
ourselves”, Path of Exile bears several
similarities to the famous Diablo series.
From the point-and-click controls
and the dark, gritty atmosphere and
graphics to the randomized maps,
monsters and item drops, the game can
be easily mistaken as a Diablo clone at
first glance.
Despite these similarities, Path
of Exile still manages to stand on its
own, delivering an engaging gameplay
experience with incredible replay value.
Players take on the role of an Exile,
a character sent in exile to the foreboding
continent of Wraeclast.
In an adventure spanning dark
forests, haunted caves, underground
labyrinths and even the cursed ruins of
a great desert civilization, the Exile fights
not only for survival but also to discover
Photos: Google.com
the truth behind the mass exiles.
Seven different character classes are
available, each representing a mix of the
different attributes of strength, dexterity
and intelligence. While all characters share
the same passive skill tree, their starting
positions differ based on their attributes.
This choice may not seem
important at first, but when there are
over a thousand different passive skills
available for one to choose from, picking
a character class suddenly becomes an
important decision.
Unlike some other role-playing
games, all classes have access to the same
skills, which take the form of gems that
can be inserted into one’s equipment.
These gems can be traded between
characters and players, fitting perfectly
into the game’s barter-based economy.
Rather than a simple currency
such as gold or dollars, the game uses
rare items such as orbs, scrolls and
jewels as currency, even for the in-game
shopkeepers.
Trading is not something to be
taken lightly in this game, for every item
has its use. Orbs change or improve the
statistics of equipment, for example,
while scrolls provide a quick escape
route.
There are also microtransactions
available for those who are willing to fork
out the cash.
These transactions are limited to
cosmetic items, however, in a bid by the
developers to avoid a pay-to-win model.
For a free-to-play role-playing
game, Path of Exile has set the bar at an
incredible height, being comparable to
classics such as Diablo.
Fans of role-playing games should
definitely give this a try, and if you’re
planning to buy one, why not get a feel of
what you’re getting into first?
5 next-generation games to try out this year
By: Victoria Chua
2
013 may have been the year for
video games with such big names
like Grand Theft Auto V and Call of
Duty: Ghosts due to the next-gen console
releases, but 2014 looks to be even better.
Now that these next-gen consoles
have a base to build on, game developers
are building their games further on these
new platforms.
Here are five hot next-gen video
games that every gamer should try out
this year:
1. Titanfall
Titanfall is a first-person shooter
video game.
Fans of Call of Duty may already
know that this game is crafted by one
of the co-creators of the video game
franchise, as well as other key designers
behind the entire franchise.
Players pit themselves against each
other in online multi-player only matches.
The games are set in a war-torn
planet with Mecha-styled Titans.
Respawn Entertainment, the creators
of Titanfall, have mentioned that the game
will only be available on XboxOne at its
launch period.
However, the possibilities of
Titanfall being released on other gaming
platforms have not been entirely ruled out.
2. Destiny
Developed by Bungie, Destiny, like
Titanfall is also a first-person shooter
video game.
The game is set in a mythical science
fictitious open world setting.
Players will have to play as the last
defenders of Earth and the enemies are
aliens who plot to take control over the
planet.
From game previews, pro-gamers
can definitely tell that this game is built on
a large scale and promising factors.
3. Tom Clancy’s The Division
According to its publisher, Ubisoft,
The Division is basically about other
players online achieving certain things on
the battlefield together.
Not only that, graphically, The
Division has also been announced as one
of the most stunning looking games to be
released this year.
4. Thief
Most games allow players to play the
part of the hero or protagonist.
However the Thief series allows
its players to take on the role of a master
thief.
Back with the fourth of its kind
after 10 years, Thief is one video game
that you would not want to miss.
The game has you navigating around
in shadows and eliminating passing
threats that hinder your mission to steal
an object despite being outnumbered and
outgunned.
The franchise first started out in
1998. Set in the Victorian era, the game
has added new weapons and skills that will
help your character reach its objectives
along the way.
It is said to be the ultimate stealth
game as the entire game revolves around
a Robin Hood-like character sneaking
around stealing from the Baron of the city.
5. Witcher 3
With Witcher 3 being the final
instalment of the Witcher franchise, many
gamers cannot wait to see what is in store
for them.
The game is based on a fantasy book
series of short stories by Polish author
Andrzej Sapkowski.
Witchers being monster-hunters are
equipped with weapons and skills in the
game to fend off monsters.
Stop Press :: March 2014
10
TP Floorball strikes gold at IVP games
First ever gold medal for the team
By: Lee Yong Yee
T
emasek Polytechnic’s Floorball
team win their first-ever gold
medal at the men’s 2013/2014
Institute-Varsity-Polytechnic
(IVP)
Floorball Championship despite being
labelled as underdogs.
It is a greater achievement for
the team considering that they finished
fourth-place in the 2012/2013 IVP
Floorball Championship, and third-place
in the 2013 POL-ITE (Polytechnics and
ITE) games.
Team captain Yeung Chun Yin
attributed their win to hard work.
“Performance wise, we had a great
season because we fought and played
TP Floorball boys clinched the cup after beating RP in the finals.
our hearts out as a team.”
He added that in preparation for mistake. The team also kept our coach all for one, one for all spirit that helped
this competition, the TP team upped Filip Dahlgren’s motivation phrase ‘we with our performance on the court.”
the ante by pushing themselves through can train skills, but we cannot train heart’
The TP Floorball team first
more dynamic and rigorous warm-up in mind,” said the captain.
showed their title credentials when
drills.
Danial Kwek from Aerospace they drubbed the defending IVP and
Team discipline was also an Engineering, has been a part of the team Singapore University Games (SUniG)
important contributor to the team’s for the third year running. He agrees champions, Nanyang Technological
success.
with Chun Yin that the gold medal win University (NTU), 6–2 in their opening
“Every team we played put up a was a collective effort.
group stage match.
fight and all the games were very even.
“Despite all the challenges that
NTU pulled ahead within the first
What we emphasised as a team was we faced as a team, we always emerged period as they scored two goals, but TP
to minimise our errors and be always better and stronger as we supported replied with two goals of their own to
prepared to capitalise on our opponent’s each other all the way. We created an end the first period with a draw. The
second period was a very tight game
and both teams did not convert their
chances.
The game lit up in the last period.
As the game intensified, tempers frayed
and TP had to briefly carry on with two
players down. But, the players kept their
nerves and managed to pullaway strongly
with four goals.
In the finals of the competition,
TP met Republic Polytechnic (RP).
TP went ahead through their
captain Chun Yin within minutes. But,
RP responded with a goal of their own
to even the score.
As TP pressed forward in search
of more goals, they were repeatedly
thwarted by the RP defence and the
RP goalkeeper. But, a mistake by the
RP defence allowed TP to pull ahead.
RP relentlessly pursued the equaliser,
and at one point, even withdrew their
goalkeeper to play an extra outfielder.
But TP held on and in true fashion of
a thrilling competition final, the action
was not over.
TP’s Danial Kwek took a shot
in the dying seconds of the game and
the ball flew into the RP net. But, the
referee disallowed the goal as the ball
was deemed to have entered the net only
after the buzzer sounded.
First adventure-themed race on campus
By: Joceline Loo
T
he start of the New Year saw
Temasek Polytechnic’s Adventure
Club (TPAC) hold their first adventure themed race - TPAC Road Runners 2014.
The event took place bright and
early on the morning of Jan 4, which saw
70 participants go through different outdoor activities while competing in teams
during the race.
These included kayaking, field
cooking, knot tying as well as teambuilding activities.
The organisers also planned many
challenges such as compass reading,
first-aid skills and treasure hunts, which
Photos: Joceline Loo
put the team’s adventure skills to the test
along the way.
“This event is aimed to promote
the adventure spirit in students as they
experience the different outdoor activities
and learn new skills,” said TPAC President Desmond Lim.
Each of the 15 teams were given a
passport which had a unique route to the
11 stations which were located all over
campus and Bedok Reservoir.
The teams earn stickers as they fulfil each task and the first team to cross the
finish line wins.
Each team was also given a bag of
snacks for the members to replenish their
energy during the race.
Planning of this event took three
months and 30 officials were engaged to
help with the race.
One of the participants, Felix Ee,
said: “It was fun to race together with my
friends, while we participated in the various obstacles. It was quite an experience
to kayak, and cook with my friends in the
sandpit.”
Joel Rodrigues said: “I learnt that it
is not completely about how fast you get
from one place to another, But how you
and your team work together on completing the task at the station.”
The Perfect10, the team from
Sports Club finished first. “My team and
I didn’t really aim to win but more to having the mentality to enjoy, have fun and
‘lepak’ (relax),” said Low Chen Xian, 19.
Winning at the end is
just a bonus; it is the
process and enjoying it that matters.
– Low Chen Xian
He added, “winning at the end is
just a bonus; it is the process and enjoying
it that matters.”
The Perfect10, which TPAC is a
part of, also consists of the six studies
club of the various schools, Sports Club,
Community Service Club as well as the
Student Union.
Stop Press :: March 2014
11
Hardworking musician in a hurry
Photo: Bobby Lu
Kyne Chan, budding musician from Aviation Management, is working on his second original
composition. His song is also featured in an ITE videography project.
By: Bobby Lu
“I
t is a great feeling to play your
instrument in front of a crowd
and get to share your heart
and soul through music. The more you
practise, learn and hear, the better you
will become,” said Kyne Chan, a thirdyear Aviation Management student.
Kyne has his own band in Music
Vox, a music group CCA in Temasek
Polytechnic. He started playing the guitar
when he was 14, and is now seeking new
inspirations and is working on a song
that he wrote recently. Together with
Aaron Tan, a 19-year-old student, they
are working on a new track that will be
featured in an ITE videography project.
“It is difficult to be a musician in
Singapore. The industry is so small and
everybody needs to be supportive of each
other,” said Kyne, who shared his regrets
for not having an active role in the local
TP alumnus voices anime
By: Sim Yu Xiang
T
P alumnus Charmaine Tan Min, 20,
loves all things Japanese – especially
Japanese animation. She also loves
design, having graduated from the Diploma
in Visual Communication.
It was a dream come true when she
got the opportunity to fly to Japan to be
a voice actress for an upcoming Japanese
animation.
It started at Anime Festival Asia 2013
(AFA), where an audition was held for the
voice actress for Takahashi Ryouko, an Aide
Controller, in the upcoming anime Knights
of Sidonia.
The audition saw over 100 hopefuls
from all over Asia, coming to Singapore to
give their best shot.
Only five people made it to the
final part of the auditions and Charmaine
ultimately emerged victorious, to her joy and
surprise.
“The prize was not only to voice
the anime but also receive a copy of the script
signed by all members of the cast and a tour
around Polygon Pictures Incorporation’s
studios. I decided to register immediately
because this chance was too amazing to let
up – because for a non-Japanese to even take
a step into a voice-acting or dubbing studio
is a one in a million
opportunity!”
She said the
actual recording was
not easy.
“There were
times I spoke really
Photo: Sim Yu Xiang
fast and when I
finished my line, the
Charmaine with her
memorabilia from the character’s mouth
trip to Japan.
was still moving.
It was also hard to get the emotions right,
especially where the character is talking to
herself – because you hardly do that in real
life.”
Now that she has returned, she
plans to work hard towards her reaffirmed
aspirations.
“I want to be an anime song singer
who also voices anime. I am going to selfstudy by imitating more and more characters
in animations and experiment with my
voice. The whole experience has given me
courage to pursue my dreams. Whether you
think you can do it or not, just keep trying
and enjoy it. Someday, the door may open
for you.” she said.
Knights in Sidonia is a story set way
into the future where humans live in space
and struggle to survive. It consists of about
12 episodes and will be released in April.
music scene last year. This year he hopes
to be more involved in the scene, as well
as to be able to perform on a national
platform.
Kyne shared his passion for music
and how it all started.
“I’ve always taken practising music
and playing music in general seriously. I
loved to sing when I was a kid,” he said.
However, due to personal struggles, Kyne
stopped playing music for a year and it
hindered his progression in the music
industry.
Kyne performed for the TP Open
House in 2012 as the lead singer for his
band.
He was also heavily involved in
local gigs and performances organised
by the local committee such as Jams For
Lunch and Aviation Management’s Talent
Time.
“Right now I’m working on a few
different covers and my second original
while preparing for some upcoming
gigs that will be held in March or even
sooner,” he disclosed.
Having no time to waste, Kyne is
focused and seems confident in his path
for music. He hopes that his passion will
bring him further in his future endeavours.
“But, of course, passion is not
enough, you have to put in a lot of
hardwork and time. One day I hope to
But, of course, passion
is not enough, you have
to put in a lot of hard
work and time. One
day I hope to produce
my own music.
- Kyne Chan
produce my own music and spread it to
anyone who’s interested.”
When asked about the inspiration
behind his songs, he said: “It changes
along the way, it depends on what I’m
listening to and whether I’m exploring
more as a musician. But it is important to
not lose focus on your goal.”
Right now, his favourite musician
would be Jake Bugg. His favourite bands
also include indie pop bands such as
Daughter and Churches.
Kyne is also a back-up singer
for another band in Music Vox, and is
very appreciative of the exposure and
opportunities that are given to him. He
hopes that all these experiences will come
in handy in the future.
“If given the opportunity, I would
like to venture overseas to experience a
different environment and bring all that
I’ve learnt to Singapore to influence the
local music industry.”
Symphony Under the Stars
By: Cherylaida Baharuddin
A
s many students scrambled to get
home at the end of the school
day, some did the opposite. They
scattered themselves around the Triangular
Garden and squeezed in final practices
before their performances for Symphony
Under the Stars 2014.
This annual music gig was the
brainchild of Gary Wong, Huzyer Azman
and Danial Prakash, committee members
of G-force from the Aerospace Electronics
Course Club. The trio brought acoustic
tunes to a supportive audience with a line-up
of talented singers.
The event started at about 6.30pm
and ended at 10pm on Jan 9, attracting
a crowd of acoustic lovers, filling the
amphitheatre to its brim.
Raja Zulfikaar Abdullah, 19, a thirdyear student in Aerospace Electronics who
performed at the event, said: “The crowd
was awesome! A big number came and most
of them stayed until the end.”
The audience even chanted for an
encore. One of them was Ho Xinyi, 17, a
first-year student: “I enjoyed the spirit and
the vibe. It’s very high and ‘enthu’!”
The performers were from various
schools in TP, Divo Diva and Music Vox,
Photo: Cherylaida Baharuddin
The Final One contestants Marc Than and
Hashy Yusof performing High and Dry at the
amphitheatre during Symphony Under the
Stars 2014 event.
as well as MediaCorp’s The Final One
contestants Marc Than and Hashy Yusof.
Sim Qian Yi, 19, a second-year
student in Aerospace Electronics and VicePresident of G-force said: “There were
many challenges and one of the most
unpredictable challenges was the weather.
We were worried it would rain.”
She added: “We would like to
give a huge thank you to the performers
and Smokes sound crew for making this a
successful event. We hope everyone enjoyed
this event and will come back next year!”
Stop
Press :::: June
June 2008
2008
Stop
12 Press
Stop Press :: March 2014
The Biz Factor
First singing competition by the Business Studies Club
abilities and entertainment value. The
judges gave their praises and constructive
pirits were high at Auditorium 3 feedback to the performers, such as on
as The Biz Factor, the first singing their singing techniques, stage presence
competition organised by the and performance outfits.
Business Studies Club kicked off.
Lecturer and judge, Ms Carolyn
Eight competitors from the School Street said: “It is important to keep it real,
of Business sang their hearts out in front that the performers interpret the songs
of the judges – lecturer, Ms Carolyn they sing to sound like themselves and
Street, Student Development Officer, Ms make it theirs.”
Cynthia Eng and Still Sunrise – and the
After two hours of gruelling
supportive audience, on Jan 16.
competition, the results were finally out
Contestants were judged on the and the winner was 18-year-old Natasha
their appearance, stage presence, vocal Deemelda, from the Diploma in Business.
“ I am in shock and very happy. This
was my first competition and I won!” said
Natasha. She never had singing lessons
and it came naturally to her, as singing in
the car with her mother was one of her
favourite activities.
The first and second runners-up were
from the Diploma in Communications and
Media Management – Shannon, one half
of the duo Shannon and Jeremy, and
Izzati Jefri respectively.
Photos: Joceline Loo
Shannon and Jeremy, whom the
crowd
referred to affectionately as
The judges were (from left) Still Sunrise;
Student Development Officer, Ms Cynthia Eng; “Shanmy”, also won the Most Popular
and lecturer, Ms Carolyn Street.
award of the competition.
By: Joceline Loo
S
Izzati, who performed Young
Volcanoes by Fall Out Boys, said: “I
wanted to do the song in a way that
sounded different than the original, so I
rearranged an acoustic version of the song
and I am happy with my performance.”
Audiences were also treated to
performances by Divo Diva, Music Vox,
The Shizzles, as well as by guest judges
Still Sunrise.
Yuresh Balakrishnan from Still
Sunrise said: “It is fantastic that there
are platforms like these for practices for
performers.
“Each performance is where
Natasha Deemelda, winner of The Biz Factor.
performers can learn. Even a diamond
has to start from a mine and slowly shine”.
This event had met and surpassed
Each performance
expectations and organisers are looking
is where performers
to make it an annual affair.
“We feel that it was a huge success
can learn. Even a
as we managed to raise funds for CCN
diamond has to start
(Campus Care Network). We were also
glad to know that the School of Business is
from a mine and
full of wonderful talents.” said Muhamad
slowly shine.
Syafiq, from the organising committee.
Entrance tickets to the competition
– Yuresh Balakrishnan,
were sold at $3 each and a total of
The Biz Factor judge
$594 was raised for the CCN fund.
Enjoy the Sunshine with Jacky Lee
By: Christabel Png
S
ince graduating from Temasek Polytechnic in 2005, Jacky Lee is now
back as an adjunct lecturer at his
alma mater. But that isn’t all.
Jacky, 28, is a film-maker as well,
previously writing and directing short
films of his own as well as working in
the art department on films with local directors such as Royston Tan and Kelvin
Tong.
Jacky released a short film in December 2013 called Sunshine – a comedy
that was funded by Media Development
Authority under the Short Film Grant
scheme. “It’s basically your typical boy
gets girl story. They meet, things happen,
and they have adventures together,” he
said.
The filming of Sunshine didn’t
take long. It took only four days, for him
and his crew of 25 people. According
to Jacky, they filmed from about 7pm
to about 7am the next morning for four
nights in a row.
What was the inspiration behind
the film? “I was actually half-asleep at
night, and I just had this image of a geek
in a taxi with a girl who dresses like Lady
Gaga, like really over the top,” he says,
laughing. “So that was the first visual image I had of the film and I kind of worked
backwards from there. That’s how the
story came about,” Jacky explained.
He enjoys watching coming-ofage comedies. Influenced by this preference, he decided that he wanted to make
something that he himself would love to
watch, instead of something that would
generally be more appealing to the audience.
“Ever since I got back from my degree programme in Melbourne in 2010, I
always wanted to make a short film first.
It’s not cheap to make a film in Singapore
Photos: Let There Be Light Photography
Jacky (right) said that costume changes were among the logistical nightmares faced in
filming Sunshine.
I was actually half-asleep at night, and
I just had this image of a geek in a taxi
with a girl who dresses like Lady Gaga...
Designed and published by Diploma in Communications and Media Management students
Designers: Juliana Chia, Theron Ho, Christabel Png, Bon Koh
– Jacky Lee on his
inspiration for the film
so even though Sunshine was short, the
budget still added up to about $30,000,”
he said.
He added: “If you actually watch
Sunshine, you would see that there were
a lot of costume changes and things like
that. Logistically, it was quite a nightmare.”
Jacky revealed that he got into filmmaking by chance when he applied for
what was then known as the Diploma in
Interactive Media Design (the course has
evolved to become the new Diploma in
Communication Design).“I got into the
course without knowing what I wanted to
do, and I was very lucky in the way that I
managed to make a career out of it.”
He recounts many happy memories of TP, explaining that its environment helped play a big part. He loved
eating Chicken Chop from the canteen
in the School of Design, and looks back
fondly on the many late nights that he
had to spend in the studio editing his
work together with his peers.
Jacky is now solidifying his thoughts
in writing for future projects. “The ideas
seem to get crazier and crazier... I’m still
writing, but I hope that I will be able to
make something this year, hopefully”
Stop Press PDF Version:
www-bus.tp.edu.sg/bus-home/bus_aboutus/bus_publications.htm