19
Jun 2013

For the Love of the Sport – TP’s Badminton Team

by Fabian

It was the third and final Badminton Single’s match of the POL-ITE league.

Our player, Junjie, had not trained as much as he wanted to due to his internship. He was up against an opponent who was en route to “going pro” from RP. There was an air of nervousness, even resignation, among TP’s other squad members.

Junjie loses the first set with a discouragingly wide margin. “It was something like 21-10″, says Justin Lim, the team captain.

The POL-ITE games is an annual sports league conducted between the five polytechnics and ITE. It is one of two major competitions, the other being the Inter-Varsity Polytechnic games, which involve the universities as well.

Games during the POL-ITE are competed through a “league” system – each win or draw earns you points, and the team with the most number of points after all matches are concluded wins.

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The TP Badminton team had been dominating the POL-ITE games for the past few years prior to the 2012 games – five years, in fact. With each year’s victory, the pressure on the next team mounts. But it was the 2012 POL-ITE that would prove to be the most exciting year of them all for our TP Badminton team.

At the start of the second set, Junjie’s opponent pulls ahead with a few early points. But Junjie’s form returned and he defied all expectations by taking the second set 22-20, a nervously close margin.

The tension in the third set was almost tangible. Each and every point mattered. Both players fought hard, knowing what was at stake. While RP still had one game in hand, this was TP’s last chance to win the title. Victory was everything.

The final score? 21-19… to TP.

Just hearing this account from Justin and Michael Chandra, the captain and vice-captain of the TP Badminton team, was enough to give me goosebumps. “We all rushed in and grabbed him!” said Justin, with pride in his eyes. The imageRY was vivid – after a hard fought competition, it came down to the wire… and TP persevered. It would be our sixth POL-ITE championship title.

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The TP Badminton Team wasn’t a particularly large one. It has around 35 actively playing members, and for POL-ITE the total squad size is around 10 players, including reserves. Internal competition isn’t particuarly strong though, according to Justin and Chandra. Players train to the best of their ability, and support each other whenever necessary.

There is both a Boys and Girls squad – the latter led by Tan Ping Ping and Aurkarn Vatanapoon. The Badminton Girls’ team did well too – in 2012, they were the Runners-Up in the POL-ITE league.

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As a competitive sport CCA, the team stringently selects and trains only players who have a history in Badminton. Justin started in Primary 5, and played for in Anglican High, his secondary school. Chandra is an Indonesian who came to Singapore five years ago, studying in and playing for Monfort Secondary School. He started in Primary 4, influenced by his father who had a passion for the sport.

The competitive scene, however, was not necessarily a predictable or kind one. TP had expected to soundly win the second Double’s match in 2012, but lost it to RP in a surprising upset. The opponent Junjie was up against was actually playing with an injury, and it was clear to everyone that he was in pain for most of the match.

“But he insisted on playing, and pushed himself hard,” Justin said, with more than a hint of respect in his voice. It was the spirit of the game – win, or go down fighting.

But what makes a champion? It’s a simple question with sometimes vastly different answers. For our Badminton Team, though, the answer was straightforward.

Commitment. Hard work. Experience. Passion. Talent.

The team trains three times a week – Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, increasing in both intensity and frequency when competition season comes along. The coaches, Mr Wong (girls’ team) and Jonathan Tang (boy’s team), both require discipline and focus in their squads. The entire team is bonded, something the captains encourage as much as they can. The ties that bind them give them support.

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Inspired by reading a bit too much manga, I did ask a slightly random question. “Just out of curiosity, is there any squad member who’s… particularly talented? Does well even though he doesn’t train as much?”

Justin and Chandra looked at each other and laughed. “Junyang!” came the unanimous and simultaneous reply. They joked about how he had problems making it for morning training sessions, and enthused about how he still played really well. “We’d clap when he appeared for morning training.”

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This year, they’ll be once again defending their championship and setting their eyes on the seventh title. The POL-ITE 2013 games are scheduled to happen in October and now more than ever before, we want to be there by the sidelines, cheering our teams on.

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12
Jun 2013

The Story of the Storytellers

by Fabian

Rushdy stood at the back surveying the audience, feeling a bit restless to take his seat. In part, this was because of the morning coffee he had in his hand, but mostly because he was too excited.

The TPTV alumnus and Year 3 Communications & Media Management Student (CMM) is currently on internship with Channel News Asia, but had been granted the morning off to come to the Jurong Regional Library for the launch of READ! Singapore 2013. READ! Singapore started in 2005 to encourage more Singaporeans to read and share the joy of reading.

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Minister for Communications and Information, Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, arrived and was greeted by the White Rabbit from Lewis Carrol’s Alice in Wonderland. The ceremony opened with a skit, talking of the journey we all take to find our own story.

While Rushdy is an avid reader, that wasn’t the reason he was here. Rushdy, his course-mate Alvin Lim and lecturer Hazlina Abdul Halim were all involved in Read! Singapore in a unique way – they were narrators for the audio version of the anthology, Under One Sky, one of the launch titles of Read! Singapore. Rushdy narrated Ken Liu’s The Paper Menagerie, Alvin recited the poem chope by Joshua Ip and Hazlina narrated a video by renowned local playwright Alfian Sa’at.

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Hazlina (right) speaks to Dr Yaacob.

Hazlina, herself a TV presenter, was definitely a veteran in this area, but for Rushdy and Alvin this was certainly an opportunity to get involved in the industry. Rushdy recalled the experience fondly. “I’ve always loved to read and I full-heartedly believe that reading is a wonderful way for kids (and even adults!) to develop their sense of imagination.”

During the recording, Rushdy had to take on the mindset of the character he narrated. The story was so touching at times, he said, that there were even some points he teared. “It made the story more personal and relatable! Jamilah Yusop, who was recording the story was very patient with whatever questions I had, and was more than happy to let me redo a take if I felt it wasn’t the best I could do. I’ve done a lot of voice-overs before, but this was by far the most pleasant experience I’ve had.”

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This isn’t the only involvement CMM has with the National Library Board. “We’ve partnered with them for a series of projects in this academic year to promote the READ! Singapore Campaign including, producing a talk show discussing NLB’s titles & Public Service Announcements for radio,” says Hazlina. These projects will be part of the CMM Year 2′s curriculum.

Needless to say, being involved in a national project like this has made Rushdy quite happy. “It’s an AMAZING feeling. I’m proud of the work I did and I love the story I was a part of.”

Rushdy reminded me that even as we as seek our own stories in life, we sometimes forget about the storytellers. So – thank you, storytellers, for writing, reciting and narrating all these stories we hold dear to our hearts. You keep our imagination alive, our hearts racing and our sides-splitting from laughter.

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05
Jun 2013

A True Star Creation

by Fabian

On 13 May, a Star was born.

Haziq Putra, who recently graduated from the School of Design with a Diploma in Apparel Design & Merchandising (ADM), took one of the top three spots at Audi’s Star Creation competition and bagged the Audi Young Designer Award.

That’s $10,000 per award, an internship with F J Benjamin (fashion retailer behind brands like Givenchy, Céline, Raoul and Gap) and a showcase of his work for next year’s Star Creation.

We’ll let that sink in for a while.

“It’s rare that someone bags two awards at the Star Creation,” lecturer Jay Quek proudly told us. This prestigious competition seeks to uncover Asian talents and grant them the opportunity to launch their fashion careers. Jay was the lecturer in Haziq’s major project class. In fact, Singapore had two representatives to Star Creation – Haziq and Felix – and both of them were from Jay’s class.

It’s very easy to identify students from ADM on campus. Most students will attest to it. They’re usually better – and more expressively – dressed and groomed than other students, even their other Design counterparts. Felix is a classic example of this, with his bright blonde shoulder length hair.

Participating in Star Creation was no mean feat. Both students not just had to work on the competition, but also juggle with their Major Projects as well (their final project before graduating). Time management was key, remarked Haziq, who was in school seven days a week to finish his work.

Of his win, Haziq said it was an out-of-this-world (and awesome) experience. “It shows that my works are appreciated. I think that’s the best gift any designer could ask for.” So what exactly about Haziq’s creation won the hearts of the judges?

His was a menswear collection, inspired by a trip he took to Kelantan, Malaysia. There, he was drawn by the Kelantanese spirit of determination and their simple way of living – a contrasting quirk of the Kelantan lifestyle that gave him ideas.

Haziq Collection

“I have used two of Kelantan’s trademarks: the wau bulan (a giant kite flown by men) and the ikan pari (stingray) to represent my ideas. One thing they have in common is that both the kite and stingray face resistance in their movement: in the air for the kite and underwater for the stingray. Yet despite these external forces, they continue to propel forward.

This reminded me of the carefree life the people of Kelantan had in the kampung, matched with a spirit of determination to provide a better life for their future generations. I am inspired by this paradox, and wanted to portray a well- balanced life through this concept.”

That Haziq was one of the winners was nothing short of remarkable. According to Audi, there were picked a record 355 entries from 16 countries this year – that is more than five times the number received in the competition’s inaugural year in 2010. Besides Singapore, countries like China, Japan and Korea were represented.

Jay had nothing but praise for his students. “Both of them have always struck me as highly independent. They know what they want, and consulted me only to see how they can improve their designs,” he says. “They had solutions in mind already and kept refining their ideas.”

While there were many parts to the competition (the finalists, for example, were quizzed on how their collections were commercially viability), but ultimately it was the runway where fashion first comes to life. And it was here that Haziq’s Kelantan-inspired designs shone like a star.

He also appears to have learnt something himself.

“I have came to realize that we should step back and appreciate the little things that life has to offer, but also go all out to chase our dreams.”

So what does he plan to do with the money?

“Save and invest in my own label!”

We look forward to that day, Haziq.

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29
May 2013

Mum? Dad? I need help deciding. – PG Seminar 2013

by Fabian

When we were children, we went to our parents for everything. A hot cup of milo, a bruised knee or a bedtime story – our parents were our fountain of knowledge and pillar of strength. They also made all our decisions for us – what to wear, what our room looked like, where to go over the weekend.

Of course, as we got older, we learnt to do things on our own and saw that even parents needed help from time to time. Some of us help with the chores, others with the bills.

But what if there were issues neither you nor your parents had immediate answers for? The O-levels are coming, but what looms ahead is even more daunting – with so many choices available, how do you even begin to figure out what is best?

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Attendees at the PG Seminar 2012

The Parental Guidance (PG) Seminar in TP was organised specifically to answer that question. No, no – it isn’t about movies. It’s about helping and guiding parents who have queries and concerns about what happens after the O-levels. Parents are wiser than we are, and while they don’t have all the answers, they know the right questions to ask. If anything, they ask the most honest ones.

“Can my son study something he’s passionate about and still build a career around it?”

“What are her chances of entering university?”

“What’s so special this course compared to the other polys?”

Who better to offer a word of advice than, well, someone who’s been through that route?

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Michelle and Elson

Michelle is the mother to two boys who are both TP students. Elson, the older brother in 2011 from the Diploma in Financial Business Informatics and received the prestigious Lee Kwan Yew award. In that same year, he and his mum, Michelle, appeared at the PG Seminar to share their experiences in TP. Delvin, the younger brother, is currently a Year 2 student from the Diploma in Biotechnology.

Both brothers have rather different paths laid out before them, so how did Michelle advise them? “Allow them to pursue their interest. Only this way will they do well and enjoy studying”, she says. Elson confirms his mum’s support, explaining the pros and cons of the different paths after the O-levels. “Ultimately, she gave us the freedom to pick what we wanted and she was support about it.”

No doubt Delvin also benefitted from having his older brother first walk through the poly route. Elson said he would give advice on choosing between a polytechnic and junior college education, and of course, shared his own experiences about going through TP. In the end, Delvin made up his mind and chose to come to TP. “It was his own decision.”

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Sharon Soh, TP Registrar

This year, three pairs of students and parents will be sharing their experiences at the seminar, just like Michelle and Elson did two years ago. Sharon Soh, the Registrar of Temasek Polytechnic (she’s in charge of admissions), will also speak on the many intricacies of getting admitted to a course in TP.

There’ll also be a guided tour through the academic school of your choice – Applied Science, Business, Design, Engineering, Humanities & Social Sciences and Informatics & IT. There, you’ll get to not just see the facilities first-hand, but also interact directly with staff and students in the various courses to have all your queries answered. In a way, it’s sorta like a personalised Open House, just for you.

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Attendees of the PG Seminar 2012 at the School of Engineering

It’s often said that when we give a man a fish, he eats for a day; teach a man to fish, and he feeds himself for a lifetime. While often it refers to specific skills, the “skill” of making informed decisions for yourself is probably the most important of them all. At the PG Seminar, we hope to help parents learn what they need to know so they can advise their children and, like Michelle, say, “Ultimately, it was their decision.”

You can register (for free!) at the PG Seminar website – http://www.tp.edu.sg/pgseminar

See you there!

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23
May 2013

Every Student, a Story

by Fabian

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Graduation.

A two hour ceremony, complete with speeches, performances, memories and much applause. You and your friends queue up, ready for your 10 seconds of public attention. Your name is called and you finally walk up. A firm hand shake, a quick wave (perhaps even a bow), a picture taken. Many of you had loved ones in the audience, and looked at them with a large smile on your face.

You hear your father yell out from the audience, “DADDY WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU!” The audience laughs, then cheers.

Finally, you make your way off the stage.

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It’s amazingly surreal. Three years of projects and exams and tests and deadlines – the ceremony seems so short in comparison. Just how is everyone feeling?

“Happy! Not because I didn’t enjoy my time in TP, though. It’s like finishing a run,” said Lester Wee, Business graduate. His mum seemed even more enthusiastic. “Very happy of course! My son nearly couldn’t enter poly, but now he has a diploma. He’s definitely smarter than me now!”

—

Each student has a journey and each journey – a story.

The story starts out a little awkwardly. Fresh from 10 years of wearing uniforms, you – the freshman – step in Poly for the first time. Finally – going to school in your own clothes.

Behold, Orientation! Suddenly, you have to put aside your sense of self-awareness and embark on days of cheers and singing.

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Then, school starts. There’s far less cheering, but you do recognise faces and remember names of those you see in the crowd. Your enter your first lecture and start your first lesson.

It might be weeks before you remember everyone’s names, but for some reason your lecturer does it in a matter of days. How do teachers do it? And why is it there’s always that one person who lives opposite but always comes to school late?

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The days turn into weeks, and the weeks into months. Your first assignment becomes your first exam, and eventually your first year. You’re a freshman, now a junior, then a senior.

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And then – internship! You’re working now. There’s even money, though not a lot of it. Sending official emails – what a strange world. You learn to use words like, “As spoken” and “Attached is the” and “Please revert” (hopefully you also asked, “Aren’t we using ‘revert’ wrongly?”).

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Eileen and Aileen

Eileen and Aileen, twins we interviewed recently, graduated on Monday with a Diploma in Marketing. Once students, they’re now skilled, knowledgeable and qualified. But being qualified isn’t enough.

Singapore’s Education Minister Mr Heng Swee Keat, was the Guest of Honour on the first day of this year’s graduation where he shared the joy with the thousands of graduates who will now apply the knowledge learnt here at TP to the real world. With a diploma in hand, the next step is now to work even harder to achieve professional success and have a rewarding career.
Syahidah and Syahirah know that too.

They took the long route to their current success. Now Sales & Marketing managers in the Fandi Ahmad Academy, they had initially took the JC path. After the A’s, however, they worked for a while before eventually joining TP. Their long string of achievements while they were here was absolutely remarkable – starting the TP Women’s Soccer club, representing TP in Silat, graduating with fantastic grades and more.

Their story is one of mistakes, finding their passion and discovering the road less travelled.

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What, then, is left to say? The team behind this blog is not made up of academic staff. We do not teach or lecture, but we, too, were once students. Some of us from TP, some elsewhere. We remember, too, that mix of joy and relief and apprehension as you look towards the future.

But for now, enjoy this moment – it’s your moment after all. And by all means, go out with a bang:

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Shot by Tia Boon Sim

We do not call your name during the ceremony just because it’s your name on the certificate. We call it because we are telling everyone: this person walked a journey here with us. The journey changed him, matured him, inspired him, moulded him… Just as it did to us.

Thank you for being a part of our family for these three years. You’ve grown up now, and must leave us to pursue your dreams – but we’ll see you again, no doubt.

Goodbye

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