connexscions - Nanyang Technological University

CONNEXSCIONS
VOL. 6 ISSUE II JAN - MAY 2010
FYP Tales of the
Unexpected
Alumni recount the
shocks and surprising
lessons
Youth
Olympics
Fever
Students get pitched
into the action
The WKWSCI
Encyclopaedia
Your first (unofficial)
edition
CONTENTS
On Campus
Alumni
3 Chair’s Message
4 Toast of the Town
Cheers to our award-winning students and alumni!
6 FYPs Get Real-world Exposure
Big time clients are adopting FYPs into their
business practices.
8 A Call to Nepal
Students brave the Himalayan winter for infocomm
research.
10Youth Olympics Fever Hits the Campus
NTU students pitch themselves into the action
through a special YOG practicum.
11Countdown to the Conference
Pre-conference events and professor-led tours to
lend substance and style to ICA 2010.
12Media Magnet
The second Asian Journalism Fellowship programme
attracts top journalists.
20Long Way, but not Wrong Way
Mature students are bringing an edge to the cohort.
23Band of Brothers
Big-heartedness among FYP students push
friendships to the next level.
24Passion’s Fruits
Broadcast students take their artistic fervour
beyond the classroom.
26Talent Exchange
Charismatic visiting professors and scholar enrich
WKWSCI programmes.
28FYP: Tales of the Unexpected
Alumni recount the laughs, shocks and surprising
lessons from their FYPs.
30Beer Nuts
With a pint of beer and a dash of comedy, three
final-year students build a new fan base for
Brewerkz.
32The (Unofficial) WKWSCI Encyclopaedia
Cover Story
14Get Smart!
Using revolutionary smartphones as new-generation
learning tools, tertiary students are finding it a cinch
to get smarter.
CONNEXSCIONS
Vol. 6 Issue I1 Jan – May 2010
EDITORIAL & DESIGN TEAM
(Back row, L-R) Eunice Chew Yi Xian, Cassandra Lew Jun
Xuan, Lin Xinyi, Glenn Lim Yin-De, Cherie Chong Hui Ling
and Erwin Nah Hark Eyan. (Front row L-R) Fiona Teo Hooi
Nhar, Grace Chen Enhui, Ho Ying Yi, Sharon Hiu Qing Yun
and Noelle Yong Huifen. (Loh Pei Si is not in the picture.)
ADVISORS
Dr Yeoh Kok Cheow, Dr Suwichit Chaidaroon,
Ms Juleen Shaw, Mr Christopher Yaw
SPECIAL THANKS TO
Dr Benjamin Detenber, Dr May O. Lwin
ON THE COVER
Fourth-year student Fahimah Thalib exemplifies the wired
student of today, who uses her smart phone to work, play and
learn on the go. — By Erwin Nah
2
CONNEXSCIONS
Email us your news to include in the next issue:
connexscions@ntu.edu.sg
CHAIR’S MESSAGE
A
s another academic year comes to a close we
can look back on what has happened in the
School with fondness and pride, and look
forward with anticipation and excitement to finishing
the last exam, to taking a break, to Convocation. It’s
a time of year filled with energy and expectations,
endings and beginnings. Students become alumni, and
the University marks the occasion in numerous ways,
including an appeal for donations. I know this feels
strange to final-year students who may still be wondering
when they will get their first regular paycheck and where
it will come from, but I also understand why the pitch
is made. Graduating students often want to cement
their connection to the School and the University, and
giving to NTU can be an important manifestation of that
connection.
There’s much more to the bond between alumni and the School than money, of course. Alumni
volunteer their time by helping to promote the School to prospective students, and explaining what
the SCI experience is like to curious parents of freshman. They burnish the School’s reputation by
bringing their creative spark to their workplace, excelling in their professions and winning awards.
And while the network of friends and shared interests among alumni have been forged, tried and
tested during their time here at the Wee Kim Wee School, they will serve them well in years to
come. This magazine, too, connects people and I hope alumni continue to contribute to it. All these
activities are important, especially as the School’s 20th anniversary approaches, and we share a sense
of deepening history.
In this issue of ConnexSCIons you will find reflections on the FYP experience from current
students and alumni, articles on major upcoming events like the International Communication
Association conference and the Youth Olympic Games, and a look at how new information and
communication technologies are changing the way SCI students live and work. Of course, there are
also features on current activities and people in the School and alumni news. As usual, I think you
will find it very entertaining.
Benjamin H.Detenber
CONNEXSCIONS
3
ON CAMPUS
Toast of the Town
Desmond Lim
Cheers to our award-winning
students and alumni!
By Noelle Yong
Class of 2007, Journalism & Publishing
Best of News Design Competition 2010, and News Picture of the
Year at the Singapore Press Holdings English and Malay Newspaper
Division Awards.
stories, some people use video and
Desmond has won three awards
for his work as a photojournalist at I choose to use the camera,” said
Desmond. “The School has given
The Straits Times this year. Two of
me a very cross-disciplinary kind
his outstanding photographs were
of training. I can film videos, I
recognised for excellence at the
can photograph, I can write. That
U.S.-based Best of News Design
helps a lot with new media—much
Competition 2010. The other was
of journalism is going to happen
awarded by the Singapore Press
online with multi-media.”
Holdings.
“Some people use words to tell
our to be
Desmond counts it an hon al award
tion
rna
inte
an
h
recognised wit
from the New
alongside photographer s
ious papers.
stig
pre
er
oth
York Times and
Samuel He
Class of 2008, Electronic & Broadcast Media (now Broadcast & Cinema Studies)
Best of News Design Competition 2010
Now a photojournalist at The
Straits Times, Samuel won the
award for a photo he had taken for
the paper.
“This is my first time winning
an international award for my
work, so it was really happy news
for me,” said the affable young man.
“I enjoy the process of working
on a story and discussing how
to make the pictures work. As a
photojournalist, I also like the
fact that every day I feel like I’m
constantly learning new things
about the craft.
“At WKWSCI I was on the GOFAR team which went to Laos for a
reporting stint. I also travelled with
my FYP group to the Philippines
and lived there for about two
months to work on a documentary
on the kidney trade. I think of
those experiences as baby steps on
my journey.”
Linda Lee
Lessons on journalism and
ethics come to
life on the job for Samuel
.
Class of 2004, Public & Promotional Communication
Media magazine’s Asia Pacific Young Public Relations Professional of the Year
at the Asia Pacific PR Awards
da, seen here with Tim
A proud moment for Lin
Development Manager
ss
ine
Gingrich, APAC Bus
AC Executive Vice
(left) and John Russell, AP
President (right).
4
CONNEXSCIONS
Linda was recognised for her
outstanding work during her tenure
with Weber Shandwick Shanghai. She
has recently moved home after three
years in Shanghai and is back with
Weber Shandwick Singapore.
“My career has only just started
with this award—this is a testimony
and recognition of my passion and
efforts over the last few years,” said
the dynamic professional. “The
WKWSCI internship initiated me
into the industry where I was initially
out of my comfort zone. Previous
faculty Assistant Professor Constance
Chay-Nemeth pushed me and my
peers to think out of the box, read
more, have an intelligent opinion and
to speak up.”
ON CAMPUS
Serena Ng
Class of 2000, Journalism & Publishing
Nanyang Outstanding Young Alumni Award
Serena was recognised for
excellence in her work as an
international business and financial
reporter. She is currently based in
New York where she writes for the
Wall Street Journal.
“I’m extremely lucky to be
doing something I really enjoy, and
get paid for it at the same time,”
Chua Chin Hon
said a happy Serena. “Interacting
with so many different people,
whether they are interview
subjects, confidential sources, or
colleagues, has helped me broaden
my perspective and see things
in different ways. It’s a constant
learning experience and that’s what
I find the most gratifying.”
Serena is pleasa
ntly surprised an
d pl
that her wor k in
the U.S. over th eased
year s is recogn
e last five
ised in Singapor
e.
Class of 1998, Journalism & Publishing
Nanyang Outstanding Young Alumni Award
Chin Hon was bestowed with the award for
professionalism in his coverage of world news such
as the Sichuan earthquake, the 2008 Beijing Summer
Olympics and the Asian tsunami. He is currently U.S.
Bureau Chief at The Straits Times.
“I think journalism is an integral part of an
informed citizenry,” said Chin Hon. “Though I’m not
Esther Tan
in Singapore, I hope my work will contribute a little in
helping readers at home better understand the changes
in the U.S. and China.
“The one experience from WKWSCI that’s stayed
with me in my job is the questioning attitude; never
Chin Hon en
co
assume what you’ve been presented is correct or ‘the
young journa urages
lists to
get a groundi
truth’, ” he said firmly.
ng in
regional eco
nomic
history.
Class of 2005, Public & Promotional Communication
Nanyang Outstanding Young Alumni Award
Esther was recognised as being a member of Singapore’s first all-woman
Everest team.
“Fear was a very real emotion up on Everest, especially when we
were staying at the bottom of the Khumbu Icefall, an icy section where
most of the fatalities happen on the mountain,” recalled the spunky
sportswoman. “When we witnessed an avalanche from our campsite that
morning, we were both horrified and grateful to be alive. It really helped
to have teammates around for psychological and emotional comfort, and
Esther at 7900m above sea level. She
considers reaching the summit a histo
to remind one another why we were doing this in the first place... I’ve
ric
achievement for Singapore women. Phot
o since learnt that no matter how intimidating your dreams are, they can be
cour tesy of NATAS Singapore Women’s
broken down into manageable bits.”
Everest Team.
Melvin Chen, Welyon Sutjipto, Meredith Yong and Sharlene Lim
Third-year Broadcast & Cinema Studies students
The Perfect Take, Best Story Award at Singapore’s First Creative Video Awards 2010
Their short film is a witty take on
the behind-the-scenes aspect of the
production process behind making films.
“The award is an assurance to me and
the team that we are on the right track,
and is like a confidence boost for me, a
recognition of my work,” said team
member Melvin. “It serves as an
impetus for me to create better and
more creative works in the future.”
The Perfect Take can be viewed at:
http://www.esma.sg/cva.
The last sho
t of The Pe
rfect
Take.
CONNEXSCIONS
5
ON CAMPUS
FYPs Get Real-World Exposure
The FYPS
T
he final year project (FYP) is a rite of passage
for any WKWSCI student. But while it used to
be that FYPs would end after submission, an
increasing number of FYPs have been so well received
by their industry partners that they are being taken
out of the confines of the classroom and into the
clients’ business world.
Projects “Get Your Sexy Back” partnering Asia
Pacific Breweries (APB), “Go Red for Women”
partnering the Singapore Heart Foundation, and
“Create Action Now! (CAN!)” partnering the
Singapore Youth Olympic committee are prime
examples.
ConnexSCIons caught up with the FYP teams to
unearth their magic formula.
Sexy Back: Think long-term from the onset. Having a
mix of these three elements might be useful:
• The campaign message cannot be a superficial one
that will only last as long as a passing fad.
• Succession—someone has to take over the project
after you graduate. Building a campaign that
is sustainable and scalable makes it easier for
someone to take over the campaign and run with
it.
• Build strong networks over the course of your
project. Your advocates of the cause will continue
to sing from your hymn book even after you have
left the building.
Go Red: Find a niche or an area that has been
neglected. For example, heart health is an often
neglected area in health campaigns. If there is more
work to be done or more awareness to be created, your
FYP would have greater sustainability and impact in
the years to come.
CAN!: Have constructive discussions together with
the client throughout the course of the campaign.
This ensures that both sides are working towards a
common goal. Successfully fulfilling that goal helps
make the campaign sustainable as it enhances the
client’s interest in developing the campaign further.
6
CONNEXSCIONS
Class of 2008
Get Your Sexy Back (GYSB),
Tan, Rebecca Ye
nny
Da
,
Fong Yue Yeng, Jae Loh
B)
(AP
ries
we
Client: Asia Pacific Bre
te responsible drinking
The pilot campaign to promo
r 2008. Pre-launch,
was held from Dec 2007 to Ma
the streets of Orchard
to tease the public, they roved
paign launch event was
Road over a weekend. A cam
they took to the tertiary
thrown at Zouk. Post-launch,
roving sessions. A
institutions with full-day school
d at *scape. Campaign
campaign closure event was hel
e placed with supporting
collaterals and premiums wer
es Powerhouse. Lastly,
partners like Timbre and St Jam
paign across Singapore
they had an outdoor media cam
in early 2008.
Regional Director Bennett
The high-energy team with APB
ustin and GYSB Ambassadors.
Neo, DJ and event host Joe Aug
Create.Action.Now! (CAN!), Class of 2009
Aveline Chiok, Luana Low, Tee Xin Yi, Venetia Chung
Client: Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games Organising
The campaign to excite youths about the 2010 Youth Olympic
Games included events held at SMU on 10 Jan 2009, such as:
• Official launch of the Singapore 2010 logo.
• CAN! Run A 2010-metre run for 2010 youths to spark
off their participation and create excitement about the
games.
• CAN! Play A carnival for the public to try out various
sports that will be featured during the YOG, such as
equestrian, wrestling and handball .
• CAN! Party A concert for young music talents to
perform and for the youths to have fun after a day of
energetic events.
ON CAMPUS
Big time clients are adopting dynamic FYPs into their business practices.
By Noelle Yong
Go Red For Women, Class of 2009
Angelina Chung, Denise Goh, Dylan Wan
g, Janus Goh
Client: Singapore Heart Foundation
(L-R) Janus, Angelina, De
nise and Dylan admire
their
collaterals.
They organised two big events promoting
heart
health for women. The first was the campaig
n
launch held at the Singapore Flyer. The Flye
r
had just opened and they managed to get
the
management to light the flyer in red every
day for
the month of February.
The second was a roadshow at Raffles Plac
e
where a flash mob demonstrated the dang
ers of
heart disease by feigning a heart attack. They
also
had a public health screening catering to busy
career
women at the roadshow.
Committee (SYOGOC)
The girls with the can-do spirit,
the CAN! team of 2009.
THE CAMPAIGNS ARE STILL
grow i
“Get Your Sexy Back” (GYSB)
has seen 3,813 people—and
counting—make a pledge to
support responsible drinking. The
campaign is still going strong with a
constant slate of events such as the
GYSB Boomz 09 concert featuring
stars such as JJ Lin. It is also an
active partner at campus events
such as the SMU Waikiki Fiesta
2010. To support the campaign,
check out their website: www.
getyoursexyback.sg.
“Go Red for Women” and
CAN! are being continued
by Public & Promotional
Communication (PPC) division
FYP groups from the Class of 2010.
Joyce Tan, Kok Yin Yin and
Chua Wei Wei have multiple
events lined up to promote heart
health for the Go Red extension
campaign. Events include Go Red
@ Raffles and various supermarket
roadshows among others . More
details at www.littlereddress.
com.sg/
“We have carried on working
with the Little Red Dress symbol
to provide resonance,” said the
2010 FYP team. “Last year’s
campaign was more of a fashionfronted campaign. This year we
are focusing more on creating
awareness in terms of encouraging
women to take action in starting a
ng!
heart-healthy lifestyle.”
The successful launch of
CAN! became a springboard
for a series of quarterly CAN!
Festivals by the SYOGOC, leading
up to the games in August 2010.
The themed events are: CAN!
Discover (Culture and Heritage),
CAN! Click (Digital Media),
CAN! Green (Environment) and
CAN! Arts (Arts). The FYP team
comprising Charlotte Tan, Charissa
Tan, Joanne Yan and Sabina Lim
spearheaded the CAN! Arts phase.
They organised the CAN! Pledge
competition with the aim of getting
youths to pledge to be creative.
At the time of writing, 275 pledges
have already been made. More
details can be found at www.
canpledge.com
“The first campaign was
phenomenol as it established a
ready pool of enthusiastic youth
volunteers who understand the
true spirit of CAN!” said the 2010
team. “We have since upped the
numbers of the CAN! Facebook
group by about 500 at time of
writing. Also, the previous phrases
were more educational in their
execution, ours was a more
experience-based approach of
encouraging youths to execute
their creative ideas.”
CONNEXSCIONS
7
ON CAMPUS
In Nepal, citizens think nothing of travelling for hours a day on foot. Health volunteers walked for four hours from a neighbouring district for a focus
group in Achham. Photos courtesy of the GO-FAR team.
A Call
to Nepal
Students brave rudimentary living
conditions for the sake of their
infocomm project
By Sharon Hiu
8
CONNEXSCIONS
W
ith the luxury of intermittent electricity
and running water in their staff quarters
provided by their host, Bayalpata Hospital,
final year students Faiz bin Mohd Irwan Law, 24,
Nadia bin Mohamed Ismail, 22, and Muhammed
Nazran Ahmad, 29, were already living the high life
amongst the Nepalese villagers.
In December last year, the group headed up to
Achham, Nepal, where they stayed for two weeks
working on a memorable final year project. There in
Achham, their job was to take in the circumstances,
conduct focus groups and return to recommend
improvements to Nepalese healthcare delivery.
According to group, no such research has ever been
carried out in the area where many live below the
poverty line and face regular political unrest.
Interestingly, the team discovered that
while wireless mobile phones may seem like an
ON CAMPUS
unobtainable luxury to the villagers, the ownership
of these wireless gadgets is higher than that of
landline phones.
“This is because the infrastructure for landline
is very tedious to construct in such a hilly area,” said
Faiz, qualifying that many of the villagers share their
mobile phones.
Although the area uses the CDMA wireless
technology, a 3G platform, network coverage is “very
unstable” and “very difficult because the signal is
really weak”, discovered the group.
One way the group proposed to aid the villagers
was to provide community healthcare workers with
sponsored mobile phones and prepaid credits.
“This will help them improve the means of getting
information, thus improving their level of knowledge
in health issues and also help to efficiently get medical
help for their patients,” explained Faiz.
While their stay in Achham was a challenging one,
involving long treks, biting cold and rudimentary
living conditions, it was fruitful in terms of personal
growth, concluded the students.
Team member Nadia admitted, “I went there with
the idea that our way of life was better. But upon
staying there for two weeks, I learnt that everyone has
his or her own definition of what is ‘better’. There is no
stress over here. Well, you might be physically stressed,
but it’s manageable!”
That eye-opening lesson in itself was worth the
entire experience, agreed the team.
Faiz (in black hoodie), conducting outdoor focus groups with the help of the
group’s translator-cum-guide.
Nazran (in red), Faiz (seated) and Nadia (far right) interact with Nyaya Health
volunteers who help run the Bayalpata Hospital.
Wild animals are a common sight in the
village. The trip actually taught her to be less
frightened of dogs, said Nadia wryly.
A line of people wait patiently for medical attention at the
emergency entrance of Bayalpata Hospital. At the far end,
patients queue outside the outpatient entrance.
CONNEXSCIONS
9
ON CAMPUS
YOG Fever
Hits Campus
NTU students pitch themselves into
the action with a special practicum.
By Glenn Lim
ar
me from final-ye
sign template ca
de
ng
ni
in
w
y.
e
Th
ing Hue
Kelly Chang Sh
ADM student
Producer K
en Lim overs
A
once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity
awaits students
here at WKWSCI when
the Youth Olympic Games
kicks off in August.
The School has
organised a special Youth
Olympic Village news
reporting practicum just
2010 youths
for the event. For academic
running 2010m as pa
rt of
YOG festivities.
units, students will run a
daily newspaper catering to
the 5,000 athletes and officials
in the Games.
“Just as the inaugural Youth
Olympics is a historic event, this
practicum is also unprecedented,”
said course instructor Juleen
Shaw, formerly group editor at
MediaCorp Publishing. “Not only
will the students get to run a daily
newspaper in real-time, they will
have an international readership.
“The bonus, of course, is getting
a ringside seat at the sporting
events with their press pass. They
could be witnessing a future
10
CONNEXSCIONS
ees the them
Michael Phelps or Cathy Freeman
in the making.”
The special practicum, which
has been fully subscribed by
students from various NTU
schools, is supported by WKWSCI
as one of its contributions to
the Youth Olympic Games. The
Singapore Youth Olympic Games
Organising Committee (SYOGOC)
sees the Games as building a
bridge across diversity through the
celebration of sports.
The newspaper, which will be
delivered to competitors every
morning at breakfast, is expected
to cover interviews with the young
athletes and YOG ambassadors
from around the world, as well as
Youth Olympic Village news and
columns on pivotal sporting events
each day. It will run for eight pages
daily, with 12 pages dedicated to
the first and last editions.
As for what participants can
pick up from the course, WKWSCI
coordinator for the newspaper, Mr
Andrew Duffy, said, “Students have
e song for Y
OG 2010
to understand that reporting is
more important than writing.
“Writing is just 10 percent of
being a journalist. It is more about
finding and gathering news.”
The school of Art, Design and
Media (ADM) collaborated with
WKWSCI on a design template.
ADM students enrolled in the
Publication Design module were
tasked by Assistant Professor
Danne Ojeda Hernandez to design
the newspaper as part of their
course requirements.
The newspaper, when it goes
live, will cover all 26 sports of the
Games, as well as cultural events
and outings planned for the athletes
and officials.
Being able to gain “professional”
news writing exposure by reporting
on a massive event like the YOG—
and gain four academic credits in
the process—is a rare opportunity
for students. It even makes this
writer, a final-year student, wish
he could be around—just a little
longer— to participate!
ON CAMPUS
Countdown to the Conference
Pre-conference events and professor-led tours lend substance and style to ICA 2010
W
hether you might be
interested in “Avatars
from Hegel to Hu
Jintao” or “Antecedents of Crisis
Communication”, a dynamic series
of ICA 2010 pre-conferences
is creating added buzz among
conference participants.
The 12 pre-conferences, to
take place from 22 to 25 June, have
been primarily designed to allow
for a relaxed atmosphere where
academics specialising in particular
fields of research can gather and
engage.
Topics range from cultural
research and feminist scholarship
to online social capital, and include
presentations on “Advertising and
Persuasion in the Online World”
as well as “Alternative Media,
Resistance and Protest Strategies in
a Global Society”.
A full list of pre-conferences
can be found at www.icahdq.org.
Conference coordinator Dr
May O. Lwin elaborated, “The
pre-conferences allow scholars to
network and share ideas with likeminded others.”
Workshops will be held at
Suntec International Convention
Centre, UniSIM, Singapore
Management University and Ngee
Ann Polytechnic.
Also in the works for
conference visitors are local tours
and activities.
Lecturer Mr Andrew Duffy, one
of the ICA coordinators, has been
planning walking tours around
tourist hotspots such as Little
India, Chinatown and Lau Pa Sat.
Conference convenor Professor
Ang Peng Hwa hopes visitors
will be able to see the vibrancy
in and around Singapore despite
its perceived image as a highly
controlled society.
In fact, one of the aims of ICA
2010 is to showcase Asia.
WKWSCI faculty travelled
around the region to encourage
Asian scholars to make the trip
to Singapore to promote Asian
scholarship in communication.
One of the ways Asia will be
showcased is through the use of
regional cultures. For example, the
gift bags for the conference will
be partly made of batik material
personally sourced by the ICA
coordinators from Indonesia.
Dr Lwin noted that using
indigenous cottage industries
allows ICA an opportunity to have
greater social meaning as well be
environmentally friendly.
ICA is the largest academic
association worldwide supporting
the discipline of human
communication. This year’s
conference, held from 22 to 26
June, will only be the second
time the conference is being held
outside of the United States and
the first time in Singapore.
Given the engaging range
of activities planned, one thing
visitors to ICA 2010 Singapore can
be sure of is that they will not run
out of things to do.
By Glenn Lim
ICA delegates who take time off to tour Singapore will
appreciate the juxtaposition of old and new.
ICA 2010 gift bags for delegates will use hand-made batik
sourced from cottage industries in Indonesia.
Suntec International Convention Centre,—one of the
conference venues.
CONNEXSCIONS
11
ON CAMPUS
Media Magnet
Second Asian Journalism Fellowship programme attracts top journalists
By Glenn Lim
T
he 2010 Asian Journalism
Fellowship (AJF)
programme officially
commenced on 8th February this
year. This three-month programme
is supported by the Temasek
Foundation and WKWSCI.
Running for its second year, the
programme saw 17 outstanding
journalists representing print,
broadcast and online media from
17 Asian cities converging at
WKWSCI. The journalists were
selected based on their suitability in
terms of professional development
and the perceived value they would
bring to the Fellowship.
12
CONNEXSCIONS
When ConnexSCIons spoke
to the journalists, they expressed
unanimous delight for the
opportunity to gain professionalism
and be more engaged with the
regional industry.
Miss Fan Ming, a senior
producer at CCTV said, “I believe
NTU has the wonderful social
resources, education system and
professional environment that I
wish for. I want to polish my mind,
rethink my mission and rectify
my weaknesses as a professional
journalist, as well as promote my
leadership skills and improve my
ability to integrate resources in
such an information over-loaded
Internet era.”
Highlights of the programme
included professional workshops,
seminars and site visits. There were
also exchanges with Singaporebased journalists and journalism
students, in a bid to facilitate
information sharing. As part of the
programme, the journalists were
also given the opportunity to work
on independent projects, with the
university opening up resources for
the participants to tap on.
Mr. Chanchal Pal Chauhan,
special correspondent with The
Economic Times in India said, “As
ON CAMPUS
a journalist, we have to reinvent
ourselves and take ourselves to
the next level. We need to have
different levels of exposure and
experience new events in a new
place. I believe AJF offers me an
opportunity to grow in life—both
professionally and personally, and
to have a commitment towards
life. It provides me the opportunity
to think rationally and to have a
positive aspect on my thinking,
thus helping me to enrich myself as
a professional.”
Despite the wealth of
professional exchanges,
participants also had time to relax
at social events, where they found
themselves establishing closer
bonds with each other.
Miss Agnes Lam, a reporter
at the South China Morning Post,
revealed, “A few of us have become
quite close, sharing our childhood
stories and views on work,
marriage and relationships. We also
share the same values as journalists
—which is to present stories with
facts and evidence in a fair and just
way.”
By Fiona Teo
The journalists enjoying a hear ty
moment after dinner.
Mr Ali Raza, news editor at the
Daily IBRAT in Pakistan, notes
that Singapore is “clean and
nice, with NTU providing a
very good atmosphere for us
to do research work”.
The AJF journa
lists gather for
a birthday cele
bration.
ConnexSCIons at a Click
Mr Chanchal Pal Chauhan,
special correspondent with
The Economic Times in India,
relishes the opportunity that
AJF has offered him to “enrich
myself as a professional”.
Get your soft copy
of ConnexSCIons,
downloadable from
www.ntu.edu.sg/
sci.
Click on “Alumni”,
then “SCI Alumni
Newsletter ConnexSCIons”.
Pick from current or
archived issues. Get
connected with a
click!
CONNEXSCIONS
13
C OV E R S TO RY
Using revolutionary smart phones
as new-generation learning tools,
tertiary students are finding it a
cinch to get smarter.
14
CONNEXSCIONS
C O V E R S TO RY
Using revolutionary smart phones as new-generation learning tools,
tertiary students are finding it a cinch to get smarter.
by Lin Xinyi, Loh Pei Si & Erwin Nah
A
s 20-year-old WKWSCI student
Cassandra Lew settles into the backseat
of bus 179 travelling home, her phone
lights up with an alert: She has been
tagged in a Facebook note called ‘COM207 Mid-term
Exam Welfare’.
She accesses the Facebook note through the
3G network, and finds that it is from her classmate
Andrew Darwitan. It is a link for his coursemates to
download his study material. He has summarised and
condensed eight chapters of notes into a file entitled
‘An Index of Important Works and Theories’, and has
generously uploaded his work online for his friends.
Cassandra accesses the link and saves the file onto
her phone. Within minutes, she is studying for the
upcoming quiz on the hour-long bus journey home.
If the dawn of the Internet, with its 24/7
connectivity and Web accessibility, had seduced us
with the promise of information and discovery, today’s
mobile smart phone has upped the ante by throwing
portability and customised applications into the mix.
And students are the smart beneficiaries.
With their technological savvy, social connectivity
and natural drive to “one up” the competition, tertiary
students in particular have wholeheartedly embraced
smart phones as new-generation learning tools which
their parents—or even fellow alumni from earlier
cohorts—did not have the benefit of.
Retro to Revolution
Smart phones, which have been on the market for
the better part of the decade, are phones that boast
micro-computer functionality. Ericsson was the first to
market its R380 model as such, proudly heralding the
“start of the mobile Internet revolution” in 2000.
Smart phones were first marketed as an extension
of the workplace and were regarded primarily
as “business handsets”. It was not until 2008 that
Apple shook the industry up with the iPhone. By
introducing “customisation” through downloadable
content in the form of Apps (applications), the iPhone
revolutionalised the way consumers conducted
business, approached learning and even picked
restaurants.
Over the years technology perfected phone
capabilities from a rudimentary black and white
Internet interface to an array of formats: Global
Positioning System (GPS) capability displays real-time
map guides, ‘push’ technology updates email inboxes
instantaneously, while 3G network accessibility makes
reading the news and watching videos a breeze.
CONNEXSCIONS
15
C OV E R S TO RY
iPhone or Blackberry?
Which smart phones have the market share? Just ask
around campus—the names on students’ lips seem
to be either “iPhone” or “Blackberry”. Some students,
such as Lam Xueying, 23, from the NTU School of
Humanities, even owns both. “The Blackberry is for
messaging and pushmail function, and the iPhone is
for games and apps,” quipped Xueying.
Despite the popularity of iPhones and Blackberrys
among tertiary students, a recent report by Gardner
Research data shows that smartphones operating on
Symbian technology still dominate the market at 47
percent while Blackberry and Apple are fast gaining
ground at 21 percent and 15 percent respectively.
Google’s Android and Microsoft round up the pack.
According to business consumer magazine Fast
Company, 2009 witnessed the sale of 176 million smart
phones worldwide. The figure is forecasted to swell
to 233 million this year, and more than 1.5 billion by
2013. Another report by Gardner Research is even
more optimistic, predicting a 97 percent increase in
touchscreen mobile device sales by this year.
Homework On the Go
For students, a multifarious menu of learning apps
range from those that provide facts to those that
organise schedules, appointments and to-do lists.
Any function that helps a student manage time or
keep updated on current affairs can be considered a
learning app.
Factbook augments education with bite-sized
and comprehensive information on each country’s
geography, economy, history, government and
social issues. For the student of intercultural or
international communication, this is a concise
summary of a country in fifteen minutes flat.
16
CONNEXSCIONS
Likewise, there are apps for mind mapping, periodic
tables, Shakespeare and even languages.
So which learning apps are most popular with
NTU students?
Fourth-year WKWSCI student Collin Kam, 24,
who has a Garmin-Asus Nuvifone M20, calls the
smartphone his lifesaver during the various language
classes that he takes. He has Spanish and Malay
dictionaries loaded in the phone, which he uses to
translate instantly whenever he wants to look up an
unfamiliar word.
Second-year WKWSCI student Jayne Tham, 20,
finds that “when I have no time to fish out paper and
pen from my bag, my iPhone comes in handy for
taking quick notes”.
For many students, digital organisers also win out
over hard copy organisers because of their attractive
combination of portability, text customisability and
activity alerts. The password protection option also
gives pocket digital organisers more security than the
traditional notebook.
For students who work part-time or for corporate
executives, syncing a to-do list with everything
C O V E R S TO RY
else is imperative for keeping on top of important
appointments and deadlines. The app ‘iHomework’
even allows for the tracking of assignments,
monitoring of grades and even professors’ contact
information for deadline extensions.
Students report an increase in productivity because
anything can be accessed anywhere and everywhere
via their smart phones. A tongue-in-cheek survey
done by Stanford University researchers on 200 college
students found that students are so addicted to their
phones that 30 percent checked the option: “I consider
my iPhone to be a ‘doorway to the world’, and 75
percent admit to sleeping with their iPhones.
Here at NTU, Muhammad Nazran Ahmad, 29, a
fourth-year WKWSCI student, loves his Blackberry
Bold so much that he uses it six to eight hours a day,
“I used to go home, sit down in front of the computer
and check my email accounts and stuff like Facebook.
Now, thanks to push technology, by the time I get
home, I’ve already updated my Facebook status and
replied my emails. I don’t have to scramble for a
computer or carry a laptop everywhere I go to attend
to important emails anymore.”
Students are also employing learning and social
networking sites with greater efficiency because of
the mobility offered by smartphones which have
turned the world into a “knowledge network” of sorts.
Final-year project groups have been using Facebook
to publicise their campaigns, but they have now gone
further by “pushing” dates, reminders and location
information to those attending their events.
The Rise and Rise of Apps
The forerunner in the field of apps, iPhone, now offers
more than 140,000 apps for download from the Apple’s
App Store. A ConnexSCIons check on the iPhones’s
App Store shows that there is a multitude of studentfriendly apps with in-built word processing functions
that allows us to file and organise documents in
various formats, before syncing with our laptops or
email accounts.
Other smart phone operators are also getting
in on the act. Blackberry’s App World, launched in
April 2009, boasted 2,000 new applications within
three months, while Google’s Android application
offerings increased from 10,000 to 20,000 apps within
five months last year. Critics have likened
Blackberry’s offerings to an upscale boutique
with its competitive pricing and quality offerings
while scoffing at Android’s offerings as a thrift
store with sub-par stock.
On the other hand, Apple has taken targeted
student applications one step further with
iTunes U. Available on the Apple Store, iTunes U
makes audio-visual material on varsity subjects
available to students for free downloading. The
system even offers tours to the finest museums as
well as an array of other experiential educational
content.
Insisting on Resisting
There do exist students who refuse to jump on
the bandwagon because they do not appreciate
the intrusiveness of smart phones or being
connected all the time. Others equate poor
battery life with additional expense and the
trouble of charging their phone daily.
In addition, smart phones may not be the
most personal way to communicate. “It’s so
strange when I see people out on dates but
they’re both glued to their smart phones,”
observed fourth-year WKWSCI student, Nur
Raihana, 22. “It’s as if the only thing they share is
CONNEXSCIONS
17
C OV E R S TO RY
their common affection for their gadgets!”
Yet there is no doubt that for many students, their
smart phones have revolutionised life to the point of
no return. Whether it is clarifying a statement you do
not agree with in class, or sending discussion mind
maps instantaneously to friends, every new app offers
us another creative means to improved productivity.
Some students surveyed said they would like to see
Adobe and Flash plug-ins installed into their phones.
Others have suggested that smart phones should tap
into solar power so battery life will no longer be an
issue. As the number of apps skyrockets, students
more than anyone else, stand to gain as the majority of
apps are designed for multi-tasking young adults.
smartphone wish list
We asked students what apps
they wished their phones sported...
shoutouts with geographical information
live football streaming
real time local weather by area
flash for smartphones
firefox for smartphones
teleportation
taser
unlimited battery life
bill paying applications
speech to text function
18
CONNEXSCIONS
C O V E R S TO RY
old school vs. new media
The test: To settle the debate on which medium is better for taking notes.
The tester: Lin Xinyi,Year 4, Communication Studies.
Her philosophy: iPhone is the greatest invention since sliced bread.Very curious to see
how her iPhone fares against pen and paper when it comes to note taking for class.
The class: French Language Level 1.
The opponents: Azone Foolscap Paper & Black Uniball Jetstream Pen v.s. iPhone 3GS.
Pen & Paper
smart phone
CONNEXSCIONS
19
ON CAMPUS
L o n g way but not
to the Institute of Mental Health!”
Nazran said with a chuckle.
Overnight, Nazran had to
learn how the industry worked,
register the company and settle all
administrative matters. On top of
the nitty-gritty details, he needed to
work fast at managing projects and
handling employees.
But the resourceful lad
overcame the obstacles, leading his
Nazran (far le
company to a $300,000 turnover.
ft)
savannah -the and his team running a
Right now, Nazran is taking
m
ed
a
ev
ent.
Nazran with host Michelle Chia at
time off from his business to
Cube party.
concentrate on his studies.
The enterprising young man
said, “My parents have always
wanted one of their kids to go to
a local university. To make them
providing events marketing for
irst to JC or poly, then
proud and to prove that I’m more
big
clients
such
as
Capitaland
and
to NTU. That is the
capable than what people think, I
Singapore Press Holdings.
convetional route taken
made it my life’s goal to get into a
After two years in Nanyang
by most WKWSCI students. But
local university.”
Polytechnic, he left as he realised
not everyone’s path has run this
He enrolled at the Singapore
that
he
did
not
want
to
pursue
straight. A few have taken twists
Polytechnic and did a partand turns along the way, arriving in Information Technology.
time Diploma in Business
our midst with more maturity and Armed only with an ‘O’ level
certificate, Nazran spent two years Administration, earning the
life experience.
in Hewlett Packard, where he saved credentials to enter NTU.
After such a long and arduous
up enough to start a business.
path, he truly appreciates his
“Coming from a poor family,
education and shares why he
I grew up wanting to break free
chose WKWSCI: “I was told
of financial constraints. Business
Muhammad Nazran
the girls are prettier! …OK,
seemed like one of the best ways,”
Ahmad, 29, Year 4
besides that, WKWSCI is the
he confided.
best communications school in
Striking out with limited
Muhammad Nazran Ahmad set
resources was not the only obstacle Singapore.
up Cube Communications Pte Ltd Nazran had to face. His father also “I have my whole life to
four years ago with just two friends, passed away during that period.
work and money can always be
$600 and a virtual office. With a
earned but university—the door
“With no-one to train or teach
die-hard attitude and a passion for you anything, leaving you grasping to a wealth of knowledge and a
entrepreneurship, he grew the Cube in the dark… it was a crazy time.
plenitude of friendship—happens
to a company with 13 employees,
The stress is enough to send anyone but once in a lifetime.”
F
Breaking out of the
‘Cube’
20
CONNEXSCIONS
ON CAMPUS
Wrong way
These students who have taken an
unconventional route to WKWSCI stand
out in more ways than one.
By Eunice Chew
Star Searched
Jerry Yeo, 23, Year 2
I
t is well known that WKWSCI
has produced a string of
Mediacorp starlets—think
Joanne Peh and Lynette Khoo, both
from the Class of 2006. While these
fan favourites go on to stardom
after graduation, Jerry Yeo seems
to have gone about things the other
way round.
This First Runner Up in Star
Search 2007 is now a rising star in
Channel U drama, The Illustionist,
co-starring veteran artistes such
as Thomas Wong. But when he is
not in front of the cameras, he is
in front of his computer, bashing
out assignments just like the rest
of us. In fact, this humble 23-yearold diligently replied my interview
questions at 1am in the morning.
Following Star Search, he
had been offered a contract by
Mediacorp. Back then, he was a
freshman at WKWSCI.
“I had the rare opportunity to
be involved in Channel 8’s drama
serial for 2008, The Ultimatum,
which required intensive filming
schedules. In this industry, I had to
learn fast… no-one will care if you
weren’t trained or if you were sick.”
Realising that there was no way
he could juggle school and filming,
he decided to take a year’s leave of
absence to concentrate on acting.
Now back at WKWSCI, he still
balances acting with homework,
and it is no mean feat.
“Instead of feeling popular, I
actually feel a little distant from my
peers because I need to rush home
to prepare for work or catch up on
my assignments,” he said ruefully.
While he could have chosen to
concentrate solely on his career,
Jerry holds dear the education he
Coffee, Tea, or Wee Kim Wee?
Hazel Esther Tan Li Shan, 21, Year 1
I
t is many a girl’s dream to be a
Singapore Girl, travelling the
world as a glamorous flight
attendant. But after one -and-ahalf years at Singapore Airlines,
Hazel grounded herself.
Her ultimate goal to pursue a
degree drew her back to school,
despite a comfortable salary and an
international experience.
“I applied for NTU Mass
If you can’t
catch Jerr y at
the Benches,
s
you can alway
n
o
m
hi
h
tc
ca
ionist
TV—The Illus
s
ay
nd
Jerr y and fellow actress, Co
o
M
rs
ai
nstance
Song on set of The Ultimatum
to Fridays on
.
Channel U.
has in WKWSCI and would rather
sacrifice sleep and fun than give up
his place here.
“Communications is more than
a degree, it is a life skill. I can’t
imagine doing any other course but
CS,” he pronounced.
Hazel and her
fiance, Ethan,
in their wor k
uniforms
Communications and I got a place,
but my family did not have any
money, so I went to work to save
up for my education,” said Hazel
matter of factly. After her ‘A’ levels
in Temasek Junior College, she
took to the skies.
“It was fun to travel around
the world, but sometimes it got
really lonely, especially when
you’re young and you don’t know
CONNEXSCIONS
21
ON CAMPUS
Hazel
hanging out at
NTU during
lunchtime.
the crew. There was once, a senior
attendant made a fuss over me
and helped me put on make-up
out of ‘goodwill’. She turned me
Unconventional and Loving it
Raisah Raslyn Agatha, 34, Year 4
Raslyn enjoyi
ng the
company of
her
schoolmates
boy hat at a
in a cow
Looking sharp
t.
en
ev
corporate
22
CONNEXSCIONS
into a clown with smudged red
lips and dark blue eyes. I had to
go around serving like that. It was
embarrassing.”
But the 18-year-old was well
prepared to endure the pressures of
the working world.
“I’ve done a lot of jobs since
I was 12. I’ve sold Christmas
cards, worked as a receptionist,
packed toys at Toy’R’Us and was
a salesgirl at Louis Vuitton before
I joined SIA. In all, I think I’ve
worked almost 15 jobs! I used
to wonder why people’s parents
could send their children to the
W
ith her mix of Indian
and Chinese descent,
Raslyn presents a
whole new perspective on what
“unconventional and loving it”
means. Recently married to a
professor at the Rajaratnum School
of International studies, the free
spirited lady met up with me at
the International Office, clad in
a flowery dress and shades, and
looking like one of the characters in
Sex in the City.
While many thirty-something
women are caught up in job, family
and kids, Raslyn is in her element
as vice captain of the debate
squad and ambassador of NTU
campus tours. She also helps the
NTU Corporate Communications
department host prestigious events
such as the Mentor Minister
Forum.
As someone who has had 10
years of work experience in the
media industry, Raslyn is one
student who appreciates and enjoys
her education here in WKWSCI.
“Coming back to studying has
been one of the best decisions of
best universities while I had to
work to pay my way. But all these
experiences have only made me
treasure my education much more.”
This practical young lady from
a humble background knows firsthand how hard it is to save up for a
four-year university education. She
takes pride in paying for her school
fees with her own CPF.
Aspiring to major in
Advertising and Public Relations,
Hazel is just thankful that—after
flying thousands of kilometers
—she has made it back to solid
ground at WKWSCI.
my life!” she chirped.
After graduating from Ngee
Ann Polytechnic, Raslyn started
work, writing corporate scripts
for companies such as Audience
Motivation Company. At the back
of her mind, Raslyn knew she still
wanted to pursue a degree.
After years of corporate life, she
found herself deciding to return to
school.
Claiming that WKWSCI has
always been “the only place I
wanted to go,” Raslyn strongly
believes that the School prepares
the students well for the workforce.
“The professors who have
industry background are able to
provide first-hand information and
they are more than happy to share
their knowledge. Other professors
with academic backgrounds
make it a point to invite industry
speakers to allow students to have a
taste of what they can expect later.”
Summing up her four years
at WKWSCI, Raslyn said,
“University education develops
you intellectually, personally and
ethically.”
ON CAMPUS
Band of Brothers
Big-heartedness among FYP students
take friendships to the next level.
by Grace Chen
T
he final year project (FYP) has been known
to cause students to break down and cry. So it
was heart-warming to hear of FYP “brothers
and sisters” going to the aid of their mates despite
hectic schedules and looming deadlines.
It gives us cause to believe that there is indeed a
strong WKWSCI community spirit that will last long
after graduation. We caught up with the “FYP angels”.
Buddies Create a Big Bang
Among broadcast students, filming for an FYP is par
for the course… but not if it is someone else’s FYP.
Nevertheless, Broadcast and Cinema Studies
(BCS) major Erwin Nah Hark Eyan and his FYP
group trotted down to Zouk to film their friends’ FYP.
“Simmons Good in Bed (SGIB)” is a campaign by four
final-year students to promote the awareness of “junk
sleep”, or poor sleep patterns from preoccupation
with electronic gadgets. The evening at Zouk, dubbed
“Big Bang in My Bedroom”, was a culmination of the
group’s efforts.
Erwin and his FYP group spent a day discussing
the creative possibilities with the team of “SGIB”, going
down to Zouk two hours before the event to prepare
for the filming.
What was the impetus for their selfless behavior?
“We wanted more experience in producing
corporate videos—from meeting ‘clients’ to reviewing
the final cut,” explained Erwin. But the benefits were
not just practical. “Many Year 4s have been helping
each other in whatever way they can, be it attendance
at events or sharing of contacts. I think it’s a general
feeling that collaboration is the way to go.”
Sharing his sentiment was Kester Tay Yi Xun, who
helped to take photos at “Big Bang”.
“As Year 4s, we understand the great challenges
involved in an FYP project. More than that, we were
just helping our friends,” said the Communication
Research (CR) undergraduate.
Nur Raihana, a team member of “SGIB”, is
grateful. “We felt friends were the best people to turn
to. They had the necessary skills and we knew we
could trust them,” the CR major said.
Liew Shixiong and Mohammed Zakaria bin Zainal goofing
around on the set of “Masperati”.
Mates Go the Distance...
to Kranji
Another Year 4 student who rendered help with
filming was BCS major Liew Shixiong, who filmed his
coursemates’ film project “Masperati”.
“I have always been interested in camera work
and the girls trusted me enough to let me handle
the filming,” he said. “Not everyone would leave the
cinematography to someone else, so I am thankful for
their trust.”
Also on the set was Mohammed Zakaria bin
Zainal, who was the designated driver. He was present
from noon till 3am for two days, driving the crew back
from a Kranji farm.
When asked if it had occurred to him that he
was giving a grade boost to another FYP team, the
journalism major retorted, “Having been in this school
for four years, it would be selfish to not help another
group for your own benefit.”
Jalelah Binte Msab, one of the three girls behind
“Masperati”, expressed gratitude that her “fellow
competitors” can be so selfless. “I’m glad that despite
competing directly with each other, the spirit of help
transcended to come out the winner,” she said.
Their stories have just scratched the surface
of the deep camaraderie that binds many of the
undergraduates by the time they reach their final year
in WKWSCI. It is a fitting goodbye.
Kester Tay (left)
hitting the dance
floor after a hard
night of work at
“Big Bang”.
CONNEXSCIONS
23
ON CAMPUS
Passion’s Fruits
Broadcast students take their artistic fervour beyond the classroom
F
amous writer E.M.Forster once said: “One
person with passion is better than forty people
merely interested.”
Broadcast and Cinema Studies students
Liew Shixiong, Yan Zixin and Shuhui and Han Xuemei
By Sharon Hiu
would agree.
Taking their passion for theatre and film studies
out of the classroom, these four students have sought
to make an impact on the wider world with their art.
Liew Shixiong, 25, Year 4
For the love of his art, he:
• Boasts a DVD collection worth
around $1,000.
• Has spent more than $5,000 on
personal film projects.
• Plans to devote one year after
graduation to making a feature
film.
Shixiong (in black) working on his
FYP—a 30-minute period drama
revolving around a local hero.
Singapore”, made during Year 2,
was used as material for a 2007
ven as a child, Liew Shixiong
dream of producing a movie.
National Education Total Defence
knew that he wanted to
“Of course it will be a plus if
become a filmmaker one day.
people like [my film]. But if it is not Day package.
“I have two passions in life,”
well-received, it will still be a good As graduation looms, Shixiong
said the 25-year-old, holding up
experience for me and I think I will is also contemplating going
into the civil service or taking a
two fingers for emphasis. “Filmlearn a lot from it,” said Shixiong,
Masters in Political Science to
making and serving the country.”
who has made over 10 short clips
To prove his first point, the
inspired by directors such as Wong pursue his second calling. The best
case scenario? Setting up a film
amateur filmmaker is doing what
Kar Wai and Chinese paintings at
company or being an independent
few fresh graduates dare to do—
home.
filmmaker while working in the
take one year off after graduation to To get around the problem of
civil service.
produce a feature-length film.
limited resources, he has craftily
“Sometimes people do not take
The final-year student is
made use of narratives, creative
enough risks, including myself,”
currently on the lookout for viable camera angles and background
the final-year student said ruefully.
scripts for a low-budget, 60- to
music to make up for the lack of
Somehow we doubt he can be
90-minute film produced entirely
seasoned actors or special effects.
in Singapore with the help of a few In the belief that practice makes accused of banality; after all, this
is someone who once scripted and
good friends. The film will serve
perfect, he has produced about 12
to test his potential as a filmmaker, movie clips since joining WKWSCI re-shot an entire video two days
before his project deadline.
as well as to fulfill his childhood
in 2006. His short clip, “Sons of
E
24
CONNEXSCIONS
ON CAMPUS
Fu Shuhui & Yan Zixin, 22 , Year 4
Working in a Cambodian NGO last year
took Fu Shuhui (back row, third from left)
and Yan Zixin (fourth from left) out of
their comfort zone.
and the easiest to be exploited”.
Zixin and Shuhui, who regularly volunteer at the
Institute of Mental Health and Singapore Association
for the Deaf respectively, have found great
satisfaction in combining filmmaking with social
work, especially after their internship during which
they gained more practical experience.
n June last year, Yang Shuhui and Yan Zixin, both 22, Working in developing countries is not always
flew to Cambodia where they spent 28 days working fun. Once, the pair nearly got robbed when Zixin was
engrossed in taking photos of a cat in a back alley.
on a promotional clip for the non-governmental
“And because we look different from the people (in
organisation (NGO), Friends International.
Cambodia), we are often overcharged,” said Shuhui,
The one-minute clip, now owned by the NGO,
recalling how a meal of USD$1 would cost them
is being used as an in-flight advertisement in the
USD$3 instead.
regional carrier SilkAir.
But they are undeterred in their social
Not a pair to rest on their laurels, these good
samaritans will spend a week filming two promotional work, insisting that as Singaporeans “we are too
comfortable, trapped in our own world. We often
clips for a children’s hospice when they fly to
don’t see things that are important”.
Indonesia next month.
“Film is a very powerful medium that can be used After graduation, the dream is to “find work that
to change the world,” said the earnest girls, who have a combines social service and the media,” Zixin said. If
soft spot for children, whom they view to be “voiceless that fails, “buy Toto”, she added with a grin.
I
For their passion in
social work, they
have:
• Spent one month
and $3,000 in
Cambodia last
year to produce
a promotional
film for nongovernmental
organisation,
Friends
International.
• Spent 2 weeks and
$400 to make two
promotional films
for the Indonesian
children’s hospice,
Rachel House.
Han Xuemei, 22, Year 4
the youth arm of Drama Box. An
active member since 2007, she
currently holds the position of the
Secretary while learning the ropes
of acting and writing scripts for
Chinese theatre.
One contemporary form of
stage play she is exploring with
great passion is “forum theatre”,
hinese theatre is hardly
where plays end at the climax and
a common CCA. But for
audiences are allowed to participate
the last eight years, Han
in a forum session to discuss the
Xuemei has been involved in local
ending of the story.
Chinese theatre, either as a CCA
It is in community performances
of sorts or as a quick way to earn
like these that she finds meaning
some pocket money.
and satisfaction. The rich heritage
Throughout her teens, the
cultural art form helped her explore of Chinese theatre and culture has
tremendous appeal for the pixieher abilities and grow as a person,
faced girl.
said the 22-year-old. To pay it
forward, Xuemei joined ARTivate, While the learning curve was
C
For her devotion to
Chinese theatre, she:
Spent about a third of her
life being involved in Chinese
theatre, meeting at least once
a month to learn lines or plan
events.
Xuemei hams it up in “Project Mending
Sky: The Green Man”, a drama
promoting environmental-friendly issues.
steep when she first picked up the
art form as a teenager, the greatest
challenge for this self-professed
tomboy, however, was perhaps
having to wear a skirt during a
play once… something her friends
would not usually see her sporting.
CONNEXSCIONS
25
O N S TA F F
Talent Exchange
J
oining the School’s dynamic global community this year are
two visiting professors, a scholar and an SiRC senior manager.
ConnexSCIons finds out how they are making an impact on the
School.
Dr Stewart Auyash is
an Associate Professor
of Health Promotion
and Physical Education
in Ithaca College, U.S.A.
He is the author of the
article “Communication as
a treatment for SARS in
Singapore and its lessons
for infectious epidemics in
Asia”.
ConnexSCIons: Welcome back, Dr Auyash! Have you
noticed any changes at NTU since you were last here?
In 2003, I was in Singapore as a trailing spouse as my
wife, Dr Zimmermann, was a visiting professor in NTU.
This time, it is a lot more interesting because I get to
teach classes and become more formally engaged with
the faculty as I am doing research with them. The last
time we came, there was no College of Humanities and
Social Sciences (HSS). But now there is the HSS and
School of Art, Design and Media (ADM). This makes
for a richer environment with a lot more free flow of
ideas and also puts a bit more focus into the type of
work people do in communications.
What are some of the projects which you will be
involved in at NTU?
I have applied for the role of co-investigator on public
health projects in NTU. The intention of the projects
is to study how some countries have been responding
to the H1N1 virus epidemic. Now that it has largely
waned, it is still very interesting to see how their
responses developed, the kind of questions they asked,
and how prepared they felt that they were or whether
or not anybody even knows about it. I may also be
involved in the Health Communication Program
during the International Communication Association
(ICA) and I expect to help organise some events and
fill in for people who need a panel for the presentation
and help organise the visitors so that they can learn
more about the University and Singapore.
26
CONNEXSCIONS
WKWSCI welcomes our
Dr Patricia
Zimmermann is
a Professor in the
Department of Cinema,
Photography and
Media Arts at Ithaca
College, New York. She
is a Shaw Foundation
visiting professor
here at WKWSCI for
the second time. Her
research interests are in
film history and theories,
specifically the history of
amateurism, documentary,
experimental work,
installations and new
media.
ConnexSCIons: What do you enjoy about your visits to
WKWSCI and Singapore?
I had not been to Asia before 2003 because my
research interests and training are basically in
American film and history. As such, that was a big
change and I had so many things to learn about.
Everything required me to ask questions all the
time, and I felt that this was a very good experience
for a person who’s been teaching, researching and
publishing for a long time and then, to have to
invert everything—to be a person who has to learn
everything. However, the advantage to this is the
fact that it allows me to be more empathetic towards
students. I see Singapore as one of the few countries
in the world that embraces a creative economy public
policy, where the arts is seen as important. Singapore
probably has one of the most forward thinking art and
culture policies in the world and I am honoured to be
here in this country when this is all going on.
Are our students different from Ithaca College students?
Teaching here is a very different experience.
Singapore’s students are some of the best students in
the world. In fact, what I see from the students I’ve
taught is the openness to engage complex theoretical
conceptual ideas and a willingness to dive into
enormous complexity and embrace it.
O N S TA F F
charismatic visiting professors, scholar and new staff.
ConnexSCIons: Welcome, Mr Sanders! What kind of
expectations did you have prior to visiting Singapore?
I knew I would be very busy and this was one of the
first things I had to adapt to. The difference between
Eastern and Western culture and the climate are also
what I had to adapt to.
Singapore is a long way from home so I was a bit
apprehensive about how my first week would be and
how people at the University would be as well. I knew
the culture was different but I did not how much
the difference in culture would affect my time here.
Fortunately, despite the difference in culture, I have
settled in very well.
By Fiona Teo
be good on various levels to come because it is away
from home and so it is very good
for me to experience life and work
in a completely different culture. It
would help to broaden my horizons.
New Staff
What sparked your research interest
in online gaming?
My main research area for my PhD
is in privacy, risk reduction, online
exploitation and predation.
I had spoken to some gamers,
even though I never played online
games other than for research
purposes.
What made you select NTU?
We talked about their
NTU was my first choice and I chose it mainly because
experiences,
and from what they
they offer a lot of expertise in online gaming, which is
a subject I’m looking into and which the UK does not. said, it became apparent that
In fact, very few universities have extensive knowledge perhaps online gaming could be
an emerging avenue for online
in online gaming and online gaming addiction.
exploitation of children and social
It also seems that online gaming appears to be
engineering information. I’m still
a bigger problem in the East than it is in the West.
doing preliminary research on this
I felt that experiencing the different culture firstas well as conducting some further
hand would be useful in finding out the different
research into online addiction data.
motivations behind gaming. I also thought it would
Mr Benjamin Sanders
is a
Visiting Scholar at the
Singapore
Internet Research Ce
ntre
(SiRC). He is a 2nd yea
r PhD
student at the Universi
ty of
Plymouth, United Kin
gdom.
Miss Yvonne Lim, Senior Manager, Singapore Internet Research
Centre (SiRC) joined us in March 2010. She reports directly to Dr Ang Peng
Hwa, director of SiRC and is in charge of the day-to-day management of the
centre. She also oversees the welfare of her colleagues, the processing of grants
and facilitates the research process of visiting scholars.
Miss Lim was previously a manager at the National Institute of Education
(NIE) at NTU, an experience which has familiarised her with the work
environment and organisational procedures in the University.
“This position gives me a lot of opportunities to do networking and gain
more exposure. Generally it helps me to grow professionally,” said Miss Lim, who
is enthusiastic about new challenges. “Confidence and effective time management
are the key to ensure that I do well in new areas of work, and that also makes
work more enjoyable.”
We warmly welcome Miss Lim into the WKWSCI community and wish her
all the best.
CONNEXSCIONS
27
ALUMNI
FYP: Tales of the
d
e
t
c
e
p
x
e
un
Alumni recount the laughs, shocks and surprising lessons from their FYPs
N
By Cherie Chong
tales of strange people, unpredictable encounters
ail biting... heart warming... side splitting.
No matter how we remember our Final Year and—yes, gross stuff—abound. In spite of this, or
perhaps because of it, FYP survivors often count their
Project experience, the one adjective most
experience as the kind of defining moment that has
WKWSCI alumni would agree on is “unforgettable”.
altered their outlook, not to mention made them lifeWith the FYP playing a major part in our degree and
long friends. ConnexSCIons shares some of your true
portfolio, fourth-year students have gone to great
tales of the unexpected.
Pamela Pang lengths to produce striking projects. So much so that
Class of 2008
Major: Electronic “A curious group mate decided to peep into the
and Broadcast
flat and when she did, she was shocked …”
Media
FYP: “Shut In”
time along the corridor outside the a true blue urban hermit living
I never expected …
(Video Drama)
flat where we would have meals or right next door!
… to spend so much time along
wait out parts of the shoot.
an HDB corridor. My FYP group
One of our curious group mates But I learnt to…
was filming a story about an
decided to peep into the flat and
urban hermit living in a three… always have Plans B, C and D
when she did she was shocked to
room HDB flat. Over the course
ready. If not, learn to improvise on
find a pair of eyes staring back at
of shooting, we had assumed that
the fly. No point panicking over
her. The man was just standing
the neighbouring corner unit was
something you cannot change.
behind the door peeping out from
deserted. There was no hint that
You never know—unexpected
the darkened flat!
anyone was living there. The gates
good things might come out of an
were chained up, there was nothing It became a running joke for
unexpected situation, which would
outside the house save for a pair of the rest of the production days—we never have been achieved with
couldn’t decide if we had seen a real precise planning! These are the
old slippers and we could discern
human being... or something else!
no light or sound from the flat.
so-called gold nuggets in life. Also,
The old man living in the flat
Because the space inside the flat
never underestimate the power of
was limited, the crew spent a lot of next door did eventually emerge.
connections and relationship. It can
So in fact while we were filming a
make life that much easier and also
fictitious urban hermit, there lived broaden one’s opportunities.
28
CONNEXSCIONS
ALUMNI
“People were staring at him and shouting, ‘Ghost!’”
I never expected to …
... need animal organs in our FYP.
It was a story involving a psychotic
killer who killed victims and stored
their organs in jars. Obviously
we couldn’t use human organs,
so we had to buy animal organs
from the market. After each day of
filming —under hot lights, I must
add—we stored the organs in
the freezer. After a few days
of thawing and freezing, the
organs started to rot. We could
even see green mould on some
of them. The smell was really
bad. Just imagine the smell of a
dead rat and multiply it by maybe
ten times.
Adrian, my FYP mate, acted
as one of the characters. He had
to dress up like one of the killers
from (the movie) Scream and walk
along the streets of Hougang. Just
for laughs, the crew decided to let
him walk ahead first. People were
staring at him and shouting, ‘Ghost!’
Some cars even slowed down to
take a closer look at this black figure
walking down the sidewalks!
Jeremy Koh
Class of 2005
Major:
Journalism
FYP: “I Can’t
Sleep” (Video
Drama)
But I learnt to …
... take risks as a student. Once you
start working and the bottom line
becomes crucial, you might not
have as much opportunities to do
what you really want to do.
“He was a mental patient who used all his time
to lambaste us.”
I never expected…
... the encounter my group had with
an interviewee who was a person
with a mental illness. He used all
his interview time to lambaste us
and our project. He was obviously
very upset about something and
seemed like he needed to get
something off his chest, so we let
him speak uninterrupted. That was
pretty scary and I remember feeling
outraged. My teammates and I
had other interviews to conduct
that day, so we knew that we could
not let this overwhelm us. We
just carried on as if nothing had
happened.
Nevertheless, it was an eyeopener learning about persons
with mental illness and getting a
glimpse of what NGOs, caretakers
and psychiatrists go through. We
also grew familiar with the Institute
of Mental Health. It’s a nice, quiet
place; peaceful, bright and open.
But I learnt that …
... everyone should do a job they
believe in. During my FYP, I felt
real admiration for the psychiatrists
and social workers. Dealing with an
issue as complex and stigma-ridden
as mental illness is no easy feat,
yet they do their work with such
passion because it’s something they
believe in.
Marianne
Choo
Class of 2008
Major:
Journalism
FYP: “From
Patienthood to
Personhood”
(Feature)
“My eyes smarted, my clothes smelled of refuse...”
I never expected to…
... get stopped by the police every
now and then for photographing
industrial installations at night. My
FYP was on the energy landscape
in Singapore and it brought me to
rural places such as the Tuas Power
station, the Ulu Pandan incinerator
and the end of Penjuru Road. I
remember I also had to enter the
refuse chamber of an incinerator...
my eyes smarted and teared from
the atmosphere inside, and my
clothes smelled of refuse all the way
home!
I also remember taking a boat
to Pulau Ubin and cycling with all
my camera gear to find the perfect
shot. It was an individual project so
I was alone. After a long day, I had
to find my way back to the jetty in
almost total darkness... that was the
most frightening part of all!
But I learnt to…
... focus on what I want to achieve
and not let distractions get in the
way. The challenges and obstacles
that I faced along the way only
made me want to try harder. When
you want something badly enough,
you will somehow find a way to get
it. No matter how many obstacles
you face, there is always a way to
get the job done.
Alphonsus
Chern
Class of 2008
Major:
Journalism
FYP: “Energy”
(Photojournalism)
CONNEXSCIONS
29
ALUMNI
BEER NUTS
With a pint of beer and a dash of comedy, three final-year
WKWSCI students build a new fan base for Brewerkz
By Ho Ying Yi
A
chill-out vibe emanated from
Brewerkz Indoor Stadium on
the Saturday afternoon of 20th
February. The alfresco area was packed
with people, each sporting a pint of
beer and a warm slice of pizza. The air
of anticipation was so thick, you could
almost touch it.
The crowd had gathered for “Am I
Yours?” Comedy Day, the finishing touch
to the “Meet Your Perfect Brew” FYP
campaign.
The campaign was the brainchild of
Ng Pei Ru, Tan Jin Li and Chrystal Chan,
who wanted to promote beer appreciation
amongst varsity students. The group of
unabashed beer lovers wanted to change
the common perception of beer as an “old
man’s drink”.
The campaign was launched at the
different universities with a speed tasting
session of four Brewerkz beer samplers.
Varsity students were enticed to sign
up for Fun Shops, learning workshops
organised at Brewerkz Riverside Point.
At each session, Brewerkz’s Brew Masters
showed 15 undergraduates how beer is
brewed in the microbrewery, what food to
pair with beer and how to appreciate beers.
Spokesperson for the FYP team, Pei
Ru, 23, said the Fun Shops were such a hit
that there were enquiries for more sessions
on their Facebook group even after the
workshop season had ended.
In the belief that beer is best enjoyed in
a laidback atmosphere with good friends,
the final event showcased Jonathan
Atherton and Terry Johnson (T.J.) from
30
CONNEXSCIONS
The Comedy Club Asia. Both men kept
the crowd roaring with laughter with
their stand-up comedy routines.
“It was a great crowd puller for a
light-hearted atmosphere,” said Peiru
enthusiastically.
Fourth-year student Leigh Khoo,
24, who was there to support the group,
concurred, saying it was “great to marry Comedian TJ Johnson brings the house
beer with stand-up comedy because it’s down.
a classic way to get together with friends
and have a good laugh”.
The formula also worked for fourth
student Regina Tan, 23, who said she
discovered that day that “beer was not as
bad-tasting as I had previously thought”,
and found herself a new convert of two
of Brewerkz’s flavours.
The turnout for the event was
better than the team had expected,
with quite a number of Fun Shop
participants showing up. Eighteen of
these individuals had won tickets to the
event by having the best quiz score at the
workshops.
The team hopes that Brewerkz will
eventually adopt their ideas and be the
first to offer beer appreciation workshops
to the public.
It’s not too late to get a beer in your
hand. Join us at the monthly Brewerkz
Alumni Night at Brewerkz Riverside
Point every first Thursday of the month
from 7-9pm. Come and network or just
gab with professors, alumni and finalyear students over finger food and a pint
or two. After all, once a WKWSCI dude,
always a WKWSCI dude.
ALUMNI
Members of the “Meet Your Perfect Brew”
campaign, (L-R) Tan Jinli, Chrystal Chan
and Ng Peiru, from the Class of 2010.
Happy recipients of the goodie bags, (L-R) Tay
Liang Kit (non SCI), Cheryl Quek, Ip Wai Yin and
Angeleigh Khoo from the Class of 2010.
“Am I Yours” Comedy Day at Brewerkz
Indoor Stadium.
Lester Chia (non SCI) and Ho Ying Yi from
the Class of 2010 enjoying the comedians’
scandalous quips.
Jonathan Atherton of The Comedy Club (Asia)
loosens up the audience.
Monthly Brewerkz Night
Dylan Wang and Rebecca Ye,
Class of 2009 and 2008.
(L-R) Jocelyn Lee, Charlene Tan, Jole Tan, Hsu Lin and Louann
Wong, Class of 2008.
(L-R) Louann Wong, Jocelyn Lee, Hsu Lin, Charlene Tan, Jae Loh,
Jole Tan, Clarence Chua, Melvin Sim and Rebecca Ye, Class of 2008.
(L-R) Mark Cenite and Marko Skoric with friends.
(L-R) Jocelyn Lee, Dylan Wang and Samuel He, Class
of 2008 and 2009.
(L-R) Jocelyn Lee, Jae Loh and
Charlene Tan, Class of 2008.
CONNEXSCIONS
31
ALUMNI
The (Unofficial) WKWSCI
Encyclopaedia
by Cassandra Lew & Erwin Nah
To WKWSCI alumni who remember our hallowed halls with fondness, “benches” are not just benches,
“chronicle” evokes memories of all-night camp-outs, and “wee” has nothing to do with bodily functions but
rather with nocturnal bicycle rides and noisy futsol games. In an ode to the special “lingo” of our School, here is
the first, albeit unofficial, edition of the WKWSCI Encyclopaedia.
A
is for Apple is usually the first thing we learn
in school. Likewise, WKWSCI freshmen
begin their education on Apple Macs,
sophomores use them for production classes, and
seniors finish up their FYPs on them. Be it iPhones,
iPods, MacBooks, or the MacPros in the school labs,
the Apple is ubiquitous in WKWSCI.
B
enches Ah, the Benches. Scene of frenzied
typing, outrageous gossip, deadline-induced
comas, social butterflying and all-around
“drama centre”. Freshmen fall in love with this
bright and airy comfort zone from the first day of
Orientation Camp. In recognition of its importance in
student life, the administration has seen fit to install
new fans, power points and benches. Most of your
memories from WKWSCI would probably have taken
place at the Benches, so feel free to reminisce.
C
hronicle The Nanyang Chronicle,
affectionately dubbed ‘Chron’, is still NTU’s
preferred campus newspaper... not that we
are biased, of course. Still delivering the cutting edge
in school news, the bilingual ‘Chron’ is where our
future journalists and photographers hone their skills.
Fashion spreads, film reviews and hard-hitting news
differentiates the ‘Chron’ from That Other campus
periodical.
E
D
etenber When asked to name three “D” words
that have special meaning to him, Dr Benjamin
Detenber says, “Detenber is a unique name; if
someone has that surname, they’re related to me. There
are no Detenbers in the world who are unrelated to me—
that’s something you probably didn’t know.”
Dean—“It’s an incredible honour to be dean of the
Wee Kim Wee School; this is a tremendous institution
in Singapore and I’ve been very proud to be a part of it
for more than a decade, and to be taking my turn as the
steward. It’s a wonderful school; I enjoy working with the
faculty and students. In some ways I couldn’t be happier.”
Dad—“Being a dad is the best and the worst
in all ways. It’s absolutely the most engaging, fun,
lovable aspect of my life and it’s also the hardest, most
challenging and frustrating. It helps when students are
sometimes delinquent in their studies and don’t show up
for mid-term exams, I think about my own children and
how I’d handle it and it helps give me some perspective.”
EE The School of Electrical & Electronic
Engineering. Our friendly neighbours whom
we are, for lack of a better word, “betrothed” to.
Rumour has it that the School of Communication and
Information was moved from the National University of
Singapore to our current location as the government’s
attempt to pair the large number of young men from EEE
with the many young ladies from our School.
32
CONNEXSCIONS
F
inal Year Projects
Much blood, sweat, and tears (and also caffeine)
have been put into the
last dash for the finishing line
after four years of schooling.
FYPs in WKWSCI are much
more fun than the average
research project. The variety
of projects include short films,
events and news reports. Some
lucky teams may even have big
sponsors to boot.
G
eorge, Cherian
Dr Cherian George
gave us a dose of his
wit when he responded to
the following words starting
with G:
1. Google— “Let me try
and start them with G as
well…gargantuan.”
2. Gravity—“Going down?”
3. Gutter—“Gutter outta here, geddit?” *chuckles*
H
edwig, Alfred
1. The first H word that comes to mind is
honesty.
2. I hope students will read newspapers.
3. I hate shoddy work.
Ms Hedwig Alfred admits wryly that her passion
for teaching is
tested every time a
student doesn’t meet
her expectations.
Nevertheless, she
still loves her job
because it allows her
to do the two things
that she’s passionate
about: Teaching and
journalism.
I
nternational In the true tradition of a worldclass communications school, WKWSCI students
are expected to become global citizens able to
adapt and communicate across nations and cultures.
We have faculty and exchange students from the
United States, South Korea, Serbia, Britain, and Hong
Kong, each one contributing to an eclectic and vibrant
learning atmosphere.
ALUMNI
J
ung Younbo
Dr Younbo Jung, or Dr Bo,
loves a good joke—you can
tell by the poster on his office door
featuring him working at his desk,
with the caption: “Where Virtual Bo
works in his office 24/7”. A jovial
professor who finds WKWSCI
students engaging, thoughtful and
funny, he enjoys getting to know
his students at his “Meet Bo” tea
sessions every semester.
K
ant, Immanuel A key philosopher in the ethics portion
of Dr Mark Cenite’s ever-popular Media Law module, Kant’s
categorical imperative has vexed and haunted cohorts of finalyear students. No one really remains the same after discovering Kant, and
the usual jokes of “Kant is such a Kant” play out year after year.
L
ee Foundation
Lecture Theatre
WKWSCI’s one and only
lecture theatre plays host to our
every educational milestone:
Freshman Orientation Camps,
cohort lectures, mass briefings,
movie screenings, guest speakers,
the list goes on. Recently
refurnished, the LT not only has
visually appealing sound-proofed
walls, but power outlets under each
and every seat.
M
edia Professionals In a school
grooming us to be media professionals, the
crowd can’t get any more colourful. From the
artistic few in the broadcasting track to the media savvy
in public relations, our students are set to become the
industry leaders of tomorrow.
N
ews-gathering WKWSCI students are
the epitome of news-gatherers: We trawl
blogs, stalk Facebook, check facts, network
over dinner and buy drinks for informants, all for
the latest gossip about our peers and personalities in
school. An opinion commonly held by WKWSCI
profs is this: WKWSCI students are thought to be kay
poh, because we always want to be in the know about
everything; and this is the strength of our would-be
journalists.
CONNEXSCIONS
33
ALUMNI
O
utsight is a recently added exhibition
space available for students to showcase
their work. Be it graphic design work from
Graphic Communication class, or photo journals
from SOJOURN/GO-FAR, Outsight is open to any
WKWSCI student looking for a creative outlet. Past
exhibitions have included noteworthy photography
depicting life in Bangladesh and Nepal, giving other
students an insight into different cultures. Works are
hosted for about three weeks before the next exhibit.
P
aparazzi Were you “Speaking
of Love” in “The Concrete Skies”?
Paparazzi is WKWSCI’s own
platform for aspiring drama queens
and kings to showcase their talents
to a cheering crowd. Students throw
themselves wholeheartedly into their
roles, be it acting, directing or being part
of an efficient crew. Wonder if the talent
scouts are watching.
Q
uizzes One of those tricks our professors
have up their sleeves as a (pretty ingenious)
way to check on our punctuality and
attendance. Nasty, nasty questions packed into a tiny
time frame. There is no better way to get an adrenaline
rush, especially at 8.30 in the morning.
S
hort Overseas Experience for
Journalism (SOJOURN) In 2009,
students from various specialisations, led by
Mr Andrew Duffy, headed up to North Vietnam for a
week to hone their travel writing. Third-year student
Tan Zi Jie recalls picking her way through the paddy
fields holding onto “one bamboo walking stick and
one 12-year-old girl. It was quite embarrassing and
interesting and I slipped in mud”. Students return
from Sojourn with different perspectives and hope to
inspire other students with refreshing descriptions of
different cultures.
T
echnicians The Ever-Helpful and Friendly
WKWSCI Technicians. Working in offices
on levels 1 & 3, the technicians like Yew Lee
ooftop The Rooftop was once the
Jie and Uncle Tan usually remain under-appreciated
location for WKWSCI’s Mid-Autumn and
until we need to borrow equipment or have trouble
Homecoming soirees, but that was before it
with the school facilities. Savvy students foster good
was discovered the roof was structurally incapable of
relationships
supporting the weight of a full-blown party. You would with the
be well advised not to head up there with a large
technicians, fully
group of friends, lest the walls come tumbling down.
aware that the
Keep your company to two for a good, old-fashioned
School is secretly
rendezvous.
run by these
skilled masters of
their trade.
R
U
pdates What we learn in class usually
shows up on our Facebook status updates,
coupled with our personal opinions—
insights often more intriguing than the lecture itself.
This is especially important during the exam period
when we exchange the latest news on our progress.
If our professors accepted Facebook updates as class
participation, our grades would vastly improve.
34
CONNEXSCIONS
Comments, feedback, or news to share:
Address (line 2):
Address (line 1):
Mobile:
Major:
ombies Remain late enough in WKWSCI and you’ll be treated
to zombie sightings. Usually spotted hovering along the corridors
outside the multi-media labs or editing suites, these undead
students are clearly marked by their bloodshot eyes (from computer
screens), awkward walking manner (from staying in school for too many
hours) and ravenous consumption of breakfast deliveries or snacks.
ALUMNI CONNECTOR
an alumni, but during your years in WKWSCI, you share in its
triumphs, you make it a school worth attending, and you make it an
unforgettable experience for your friends and your cohort. Cheers to You.
E-mail:
ou make the School what it is. You may be a current student, or
Year of graduation:
Please fold along this line
Name:
Y
Z
Or fax to: 6791-5214
Or e-mail: SD-SCI@ntu.edu.sg
X
change Programmes, INSTEP (International Student
Exchange Programme) and GIP (Global Immersion
Programme)show us the world beyond our shores, exposing
us to the diverse (media) cultures and practices which we take with
us when we leave
(often reluctantly so).
Who can forget the
exhilaration of getting
lost in a foreign land and
finding your way safely,
or the fun in sharing
interesting phrases in
different languages?
Without a doubt, this
experience is one of the
highlights of our four
years in school.
Please detach the Alumni Connector and send to:
Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information
31 Nanyang Link, #04-43, WKWSCI Building, Singapore 637718.
ConnexSCIons at a Click
W
ee Play and
Wee Cheer for the
Interschool Games.
Every year represents another
chance for us to flex our muscles
and show others what we’re made
of. Our girls are known to be
tough, especially for netball and
futsol. But where would we be
without our faithful school mates
who continue yelling their support
even when we’re down.
Please take a moment to fill this update, especially if you’ve had a change in address or have news to
include in the next ConnexSCIons. Please print in block letters and cut along the dotted lines before
mailing.
What would we do without
the sandwich machine,
the snacks machine and the drinks
machine? When the supply in these
machines runs out, the horrorstricken faces of students say it all.
The vending machines are the next best thing to having our own canteen
when we need that extra energy boost. A few munches and we’re good to
go again.
Click on “Alumni”,
then “SCI Alumni
Newsletter ConnexSCIons”. Pick
from current or archived
issues. Get connected with
a click!
Get your soft copy
of ConnexSCIons,
downloadable from
www.ntu.edu.sg/sci.
V
ending machines
CONNEXSCIONS is a Nanyang Technological University,
Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information
alumni newsletter produced entirely by students.
Wee Kim Wee School
of Communication and Information
31 nanyang link, #04–43, wkwsci building
singapore 637718
Affix
stamp
here