Winning

entries from
the 2009 Essay
Writing
Competition
 President’s Message
In 2009, many political stances took different twists and turns. The power of
politics overwhelmed the reach of economics and science for a while in the
financial crises that broke out in winter 2008. The effects of interdependency
among countries worldwide are being tested more and more severely. The
world’s fast-paced, connected nature enabled financial shock waves to spread
quickly, causing increasing unemployment and dependence on welfare.

Everyone is a vital part of the global community, and should keep abreast
of current affairs and judge why events happen. Thus, we urge everyone
to keep abreast with up-to-date news all over the world and reason for
themselves the why, when and how things happen.

We aim to expose students in NUS to changing worldwide events, and to

engage the student body in discussions of current affairs. Our mission is and
has always been to meet students’needs to keep track of global developments.
Our political association aims to reach out to the student body for continuous
and constant political engagement. In many ways, though our association is
shaped and transformed over the years to meet the respective needs and
interests of the students, we have always kept the mission of the association
close to our hearts.

Our association is glad to have solicited the agreement of a number of

distinguished guests to appear in our forums for talks and speeches.
Through different forums and channels, they have kindly shared with us their
knowledge, experience and expertise. These forums are specially organised,
with a theme that reflects recent events, to attract students to attend and
learn from them. Usually held after school hours, these events seek to
generate discussions and engender interests in busy students.

In February 2009, we successfully hosted our annual Chancellor’s Challenge

Shield in NUS, with a record-breaking participation rate and scale. It was well-
received by many JC students, who had come to put themselves in one of the
most rigorous and difficult current affairs quizzes. They fought it out in the
competition, game show style, and had enormous fun. We are also glad that

2 | Le Message
our objectives in organising the competition - for the students to learn, share
and gain knowledge - were realised.

In March 2009, our Policy Studies committee took a huge step forward in
organising a series of debates that involved not only NUS undergraduates,
but also Debate Team members from other tertiary institutions and Junior
Colleges. Not long after, our publications team also successfully held their
Essay Writing Competition, with many enthusiastic responses sent in from
various secondary schools, JCs, polytechnics and universities at a national
level.

For the next Academic Year, we have planned a whole new series of events
for all NUSPA supporters, both old-timers and newcomers.

One of our annual highlights is the Kent Ridge Ministerial Forum. The event,
as the name professes, involves one of the Cabinet Ministers of Singapore
coming to NUS and sharing some insights with the students. This keynote
event bestows a rare opportunity for dialogue between the students and the
Minister where some burning questions can be asked.

Our upcoming events also include a new collaboration with Channel News
Asia’s Primetime Morning Co-Anchor. Several newscasters and journalists
are invited to our Panel of Discussion, to get feedback from the student
population about their views on Journalism in Singapore.

With many events that are slated from July till October, the association is
busier than ever in achieving our vision and mission. As the 34th Management
Committee’s elected term draws to an end, we welcome new-comers to join
us in the never ending road of pursuing our relentless goal: to promote
current affairs and engage more undergraduates politically. Be Involved. Be
part of our family in achieving our goal!

Low Tian Leng

President
34th Management Committee
NUS Students’ Political Association

Le Message | 3
 Editorial
The Publishing Committee recently concluded our Essay Writing Competition
in March 2009. We received a large number of entries, and would like to thank
all the teachers/students-in-charge who helped to make this competition a
success.

The theme of the Essay Writing Competition this year was “Negotiating
Self-Identity”. No frameworks or guidelines on the topic were given to allow
the participants an unbridled imagination of the subject. Interestingly, the
majority of the essays submitted fell under four broad categories – national
identity, personal identity, personal anecdotes, and analysis of the concept of
self-identity. Included in this issue of Le Message are the four winning pieces
this year (we had two third places), and each essay roughly falls under one of
the categories.

As a linguistics major, I am sensitive to syntactical variation, and one interesting

trend I observed in the essays is an increasing use of noun-adjective reversal
[DP D[NP AdjP]]. Uh oh, have I lost you there? Let me cite a concrete example
then. Instead of saying “an evanescent thought”, the writer opted for “a
thought evanescent”, effectively shifting the adjective “evanescent” from
before the noun “thought” to after it. I wouldn’t say that this is right or wrong
per se, just an interesting trend to take note of.

Now let me put on my critic’s hat. Some writers went through the entire essay
without defining what “Self-Identity” is. Considering that this keyword is the
topic of the Essay, I’d have expected at least a brief touch on it. Other writers
presented a rather simplistic dichotomy of “Western values = bad, Eastern
values = good” or “New = bad, Old = good”. More importantly, these writers
did not substantiate why they think western values or new things are so bad;
they just named them as if they were universal bêtes-noires and based an
entire chunk of their argument on this presumption. Finally, as a general
observation, most essays are either too macroscopic or too microscopic. It
is admittedly ludicrous to expect participants to focus on both ends of the
spectrum when given an 800 word limit, but a brief comment on the one
even while one focuses on the other will be a nice touch.

4 | Le Message
The content of an essay matters, but the grammar also affects a reader’s
perception. In the essays submitted, there were copious instances of
misspellings, dropping of infinitive markers, wrong use of tenses, pronouns
that do not agree in case with their referents and incorrect syntax. Even
punctuation makes a difference – dashes were used incorrectly, semi commas
were used when a comma should be used, and the overuse of exclamation
marks is especially egregious. One more comment on the form of the essays
is the usage of subordinating conjunctions (“since”, “while”, “although”) and
coordinating conjunctions (“and”, “but”). I’m not of the prescriptivist school
that says one cannot start a sentence with a conjunction, but a sentence that
goes “although… but…”, while frequently encountered, is plainly wrong.

With the impending end of the Academic Year 2008/2009, my term as

Publications Director of the 34th NUSPA MC is also coming to an end. I would
like to thank all the participants of the Essay Writing Competition for their
entries and enthusiastic support, all NUSPA members for being supportive,
and wish the incoming Publications Team all the best. Look out for the next
issue of Le Message under the management of the 35th NUSPA MC. Until
then,

Now to ‘scape the serpent’s tongue,

We will make amends ere long;
Else the Puck a liar call:
So, good night unto you all.
Give me your hands, if we be friends,
And Robin shall restore amends.
[Exit]
-- William Shakespeare (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act V, Scene 1)

Tan Liyang Andrew

Publications Director
34th Management Committee,
NUS Students’ Political Association

Editorial Board
Editor: Tan Liyang Andrew
Graphic Designer: Fabian Kong

Le Message | 5
FIRST PLACE - Goh Li Sian
Hwa Chong Institution

I still remember the time our Economics tutor was explaining the importance
of agriculture to us. He said: “Much as it might seem strange to you, the
farming lifestyle provides the entire country with a cultural backbone.” I
thought about this, and concurred. What would America be without images
of lazy afternoons on a farm à la Mark Twain, accompanied by the backdrop
of fields of rustling corn? The bright lights of New York came later, as a
deliberate contrast against the folksy heart of Middle America.

What does this mean to us Singaporeans, whose pig farms and vegetable
fields were swept away in a flurry of industrialisation in the sixties? This
relentless purge has helped us to survive. However, the impact it has had
on us has been felt ever since. Malaysia was intended as our motherland – a
reason for the attempted incorporation of Singapore into Malaysia was that it
would have provided us with natural resources for a manufacturing industry.
It would also have given us the cultural hinterland we so dearly needed, and
continue to need.

A facet to Singapore’s struggle to define herself is the fact that we were

seemingly created a mere 190 years ago when Raffles decided to land on
our fair shores. Very briefly, our history: we were colonised by the British,
occupied by the Japanese during WWII and had independence thrust upon
us after a failed merger with Malaysia. Our known history is short; much of
our angst concerning cultural self-identity comes from this.

Moreover, another problem is that a foreign power has dominated so much

of our brief history. It has imposed an inferiority complex on many of us
(manifested in our tendency to believe that books and music imported
from Western countries are superior) and given us an education system in a
language that is not native to us. In fact, the genesis of our modern history
was sparked off by Raffles, while our post-occupation history has revolved
around attaining independence from the British and our struggle for
economic survival as an independent nation.

Then again, there is our pre-modern history, irretrievably tangled together

with myth and legend. The old stories we were told when we were young
– a young boy saving the island from swordfish; Sang Nila Utama – are an

6 | Le Message
important part of our story and arguably what makes Singapore “unique”,
instead of just another modern, sterile city.

Yet there are problems with this mythos too. How many of these legends
are ‘Singaporean’ rather than merely ‘Malayan’? The idea of Singapore as a
disparate city-state is a relatively recent construct. Moreover, how much do
all of us identify with these stories? Singapore is an immigrant nation, and
these are stories which come from Malay culture. These stories may tell of
events which took place on our soil – what comes to mind is the legend of
the slaughtered boy whose blood turned the soil red, causing the area to be
named Bukit Merah, or Redhill– but the Singapore that we know literally rests
on borrowed soil, and borrowed cultural traditions from all over Asia.

This disconnect between the past and present is felt by other countries, too
– globalisation has made this world a more homogenised place. Singapore’s
problem is that we have hardly had enough time to figure out who we are,
and where we are going, before having to confront change yet again. While
others look to the past for consolation and direction, we have certainly had
no such option.

Less pessimistically, we are not doomed to an equally confused sense of

identity in the future. Certainly, we are bound by the laws of equilibrium
to settle into a more comfortable self-identity, although each successive
generation will probably keep questioning, reinventing and negotiating it.
While we do not have an agricultural sector, we do have the heartlands – the
suburban part of Singapore seemingly far removed from the bright lights
of Orchard Road or the affluent business district of Shenton Way. There has
been an explosion in the number of artists who seek to portray the lives of
heartlanders and this trend sends a message about where people think the
real core of Singapore resides. The unique, and might one say, slightly absurd
quirks, which help define ourselves as Singaporean, seem to spring up here in
a somewhat organic manner: eating soft waffles, wearing pyjamas outdoors,
funeral stores selling elaborate paper houses. This is the stuff of the lives our
artists seek to capture and to some extent, romanticise.

In the heartlands, these artists seem to say, there is tradition, even if they
are from foreign lands. There seems to be an unshakeable sense of certainty
about who we are, and where we are going, and worrying about such
pointless questions seems to be the work of others.

Le Message | 7
SECOND PLACE - Kristine Paula Changco Aquino
Year 2, FASS(CNM), National University of Singapore

Conversations with the “Other”: Reflections on Identity

Me: Hi, my name’s Kristine. What’s yours?

Random Girl: Hi, I’m XXX. Uhhh, where are you from? Are you Singaporean?
Me: Oh, no, I’m from the Philippines actually.
Random Girl: Oh really? Cool! Can you speak Tagalog? My maid was from
there and she taught me the best swear words ever! Lemme see if I remember
some…

When I first came to Singapore, conversations like these were common.

While most of the people I talked to seem to genuinely enjoy them, I have
always found myself standing there uncomfortably as they talked. As they
fondly recounted all the words their maids taught them, I would stand there
wondering, “Why are you telling me this?”

I tried talking about other things – my all-girls’ school education, my shopping

addiction, my love for food – things that made us more similar than they
realise. But people never seem to find anything more fascinating than the
fact that my passport had the same colour as their maid’s.

I never felt any particular dislike for these people. If anything, some of them
became my good friends. I knew they meant well and were just trying to
make conversation. But it made me wonder about myself – how I spoke, how
I dressed, and how I acted – and whether I stuck out in such a way that made
people want to talk to me about these things.

And in that moment, after a three-hour plane ride, everything that felt so
natural and common to me was suddenly put under a magnifying glass that
classified people as Chinese, Malay, Indian or Others. While I am currently an
“Other,” I decided it wouldn’t be too hard to try my hand at becoming more
Singaporean. And thus began my mission.

Random Guy: Eh, lunch tomorrow?

Me: OK. 1230 can?
Random Guy: Can. Oh, meet me at Engin? I’ll only have half an hour.
Me: Okay lor…eh, how come your lunch break so short ah?

8 | Le Message
Random Guy: (Laughs) So funny when you talk liddat, sounds so wrong.
After awhile, I found myself peppering my phrases with the quintessential
“lahs” and “lors.” What better to sound like a local than the ubiquitous Singlish
vocabulary, right? And it worked wonders…for a while, anyway.

It was certainly easier to meet more people. No more questions about where
I was from and no more conversations about childhood memories with their
maids. For once, it felt like I was truly integrating into Singaporean culture.
So much so that when taxi uncles find out I’m not from Singapore, they
incredulously exclaim, “But you sound so Singaporean!”

But while I was enjoying the newfound ease of navigating my way into the
Singaporean social structure, I never really felt like I totally got the hang of
it. No matter how hard I try to work out the kinks, it was always strange to
hear myself speak in Singlish. It felt like another person was taking over me
whenever I use my “lahs” and “lors,” and that other person and I never seemed
to come together as one. It wasn’t quite a split personality disorder, but I did
realise that I needed a new approach to Mission : Integration.

Me: So I’ll, like, contact you over this summer, but, um, gimme some time coz
I need to, um, like, go back home for a while. (In a heavy American accent)
Random Classmate: Okay. Err…home is where?
Me: Oh, the Philippines.
Random Classmate: Oh really? I never would have guessed, your English is
so good!

Most people I meet these days assume that I’m an exchange student from
California or that “atas Filipino chick” who went to an international school in
the Philippines. And when I answer a resounding “No” to both assumptions,
they usually walk away scratching their heads and furrowing their brows.

Several questions remain in my mind. Why is it considered good English when

I speak in an American accent? Why can’t Filipinos be good English speakers
unless they went to a posh international school? Is there something wrong
with the way Singaporeans speak English? Why does it all matter?

Having spent two and a half years here, I’m still not quite sure what I am
today. I’m not quite Singaporean, not quite American, and not quite Filipino
either. So at the end of the day, I guess I’m still an “Other.”

Le Message | 9
THIRD PLACE - Lee Yu Ying Heather Marie
Hwa Chong Institution

Adolescence. The tumultuous period of a person’s life crammed with

harrowing uncertainties, ruthless pressure and galling frustrations, during
which a person most questions the paradoxical idea of his or her self. If there
is a single thing teenagers grapple with on a daily basis, it is their identity. The
questions of self-identity unceasingly pervade our everyday lives: Who am I?
What am I? Why am I? We are reminded of them when we make decisions,
ranging for the most basic — what should I have for lunch today? — to
the more complicated — which career am I destined for?; when we answer
questions; when we reminisce about the past; when we daydream about the
future.

The “self” in self-identity has tremendous gravity. After all, identity alone
is but the condition or state of ‘being who or what a person or thing is’,
according to the Compact Oxford English Dictionary, whereas the addition
of the world “self” carries with it the meaning of ‘an individual’s awareness of
what constitutes his or her essential nature and distinguishes him or her from
all others’ . It is, without a doubt, exceedingly difficult to be entirely cognisant
of ourselves, because that would require us to be brutally honest.

Then there is the question of whether or not self-identity vacillates. Are our
self-identities evolving as we move through life? At every moment, every
instance, are brand new aspects of us gradually unfolding, layers of us
being peeled apart, new facets being explored, rendering us dissimilar from
ourselves a few seconds ago? Change is constant, and I believe this applies to
our self-identity as well. Our self-identity is definitely not set in stone; it might
not go through extreme variations but it certainly does not remain the same
forever. This explains why people have the ability to turn over a new leaf, to
learn to tolerate what once drove them insane, but also to experience moral
degeneration.

In an almost desperate bid to make sense of who they are, it is not uncommon
for teenagers nowadays to conform to societal labels that run the gamut from
Emo and Prep to Punk, Goth and Geek, to name a few. Unfortunately, it is
immensely easy to lose ourselves in one of these labels and have them define
us instead of discovering our identity ourselves. This makes the concept of
self-identity is very questionable — are we really who we think we are, and if

10 | Le Message
not, how can we tell?
The Chinese often lament how the younger generation is losing touch with
their “gen”, or roots. Many steadfastly cling on to the belief that only by
embracing one’s Chinese heritage will one be able to thoroughly grasp one’s
self-identity. However, the notion that simply appreciating “being Chinese”
will somehow aid us in our quest of getting in touch with our ever elusive
self-identity is flawed. The Chinese number the largest among ethnic groups
in Singapore; they are responsible for a whopping three quarters of the
Singaporean population. Even if I, a Chinese, were to proudly proclaim, “I am
Chinese”, it does not get me any further in my understanding of myself —
how exactly does being Chinese distinguish me from the millions of Chinese
in Singapore and make me me?

This is not to say that the culture we are raised in does not play a part in
defining who we are, or that we should turn our backs on it. Growing up in
Singapore definitely has certain repercussions on our self-identity that would
probably not be as significant as if we were raised elsewhere. However, as
with other external factors such as education, religion and the people around
us, culture not so much moulds our identity as contributes to the experiences
that could possibly shape us as a person. This is because such external factors
affect us, consciously or unconsciously, in ways that may condition us to
become a certain type of person, thus detracting from our true self-identity.

There are currently over six billion people in this world, and it is startlingly
bewildering to even try to imagine how every single one of us is different
from every single one of them, let alone the hundred billions of people who
have lived before us. Self-identity is a constant bafflement – even the littlest
things affect it. If we were to only slightly alter even the most trivial parts of
our lives, we could possibly turn out to be a radically different person. Who
are we in and why are we a part of this colossal, gushing, ever-flowing river of
life? Perhaps it is the pursuit of these answers that keeps each of us moving
along this river.

Le Message | 11
THIRD PLACE - Vishwas Subrmanya Kashyap
Anderson Junior College

What is negotiating self-identity? Does it mean “understanding” one’s identity,

or “dealing” with it? In my opinion, it refers to both, for it is impossible to deal
with something one doesn’t understand. Therefore, I shall take negotiating
to mean “understanding” and, leveraging on this understanding, dealing
with our identity.

A person’s life involves a plethora of quirks and emotions, all of which

contribute distinctly to making us who we are. As humans, we are conditioned
to living and thinking in a certain way, and this “way of life” affects our ability
to distinguish and categorise the things around us. Over the years, humans
have grown to be experts at searching and identifying the things around
us. However, when this search turns inwards, the human mind becomes
perplexed, confused and astounded at the memories, emotions and ideas
contained within it.

The identity of an object could be its name, shape or form, which is in turn
influenced by our perception of it. For example, a dove is called a “dove”
and associated with peace, so in our mind its identity would be “a creature
that flies” and “a symbol for peace”. However, when it comes to humans, we
associate ourselves and hence our identity with more complex things such
as emotions, relations, position in society, etc which makes it a much harder
task.

Therefore, our identity is influenced by several factors. Our name for instance
is considered by many to be important in shaping our identity. Our personality
can also influence our identity. Interestingly, all of these qualities are dynamic,
in that they constantly evolve and change A natural inference from this
would be that since the factors that influence self-identity change over time,
so should self-identity. Hence self-identity too is a dynamic concept.

Take the case of a hypothetical pair of twins who has been brought up the
same way, exposed to the same kind of environment, have same friends, etc.
Even in such a situation, the twins need not necessarily develop the same
personality or behavioural traits and hence, need not possess the same self-
identity. From this stems the necessary conclusion that self-identity is not
innate.

12 | Le Message
Hence, we see that there can never be a fixed way of “dealing” with self-
identity. I shall take “dealing” to refer to “the reaching of a state of acceptance
or reconcilement”, i.e. a state where we accept and are comfortable with our
identity.

The major problem that people have with their identities is that they are
“different” from the majority. Mitigating this discrimination requires the
understanding that every person’s identity is unique and being “different”
from the norm is not a bad thing.

Knowledge of one’s culture and descent can also be useful in understanding

oneself. This doesn’t mean that all members of a family or all people with
the same culture are similar; it simply helps us to understand why we do the
things that we do, which may have a cultural or religious reason. It also helps
us to understand people’s reactions towards us based on our association
with a certain religion or culture.

Therefore, from the above discussion on the nature of self-identity and ways
to “negotiate” it, we realise that self-identity is a very dynamic concept that
changes over time and space. Also, self-identity is a complex concept, with
the complexity arising largely due to myriad factors that influence and shape
it. Furthermore, the need for negotiating self-identity helps us to understand
ourselves better and hence is an essential part of self-realisation. As J.C
Murray once said:

Self-understanding is the necessary condition of a sense of self–identity.

Le Message | 13
Chancellor’s
Challenge
Shield (CCS)
The Chancellor’s Challenge Shield
(CCS), an annual current affairs and
general knowledge quiz organized
by the NUS Students’ Political
Association, was held on 21st
February 2009 at Lecture Theatre 25
at the Faculty of Science in NUS. The
event was graced by Mr. Steven Chia,
presenter of Channel NewsAsia’s
flagship morning show, Primetime The day’s proceedings began with
Morning. the preliminary rounds where each
participant had to answer 50 multiple
In its 17th edition, CCS 2009 saw choice questions testing their
the largest number of participants knowledge on areas such as politics,
in recent years with a total of 249 sports, arts and entertainment. The
participants from 22 institutions, scores of the participants during the
ranging from the universities, Junior preliminaries were then combined
Colleges, and schools involved in to form team scores determining the
Integrated Programmes. top 3 teams entering the Finals.

The finalists consisted of the Hwa

Chong Institution (Junior College
Section), Victoria Junior College
and NUS teams. Both audiences
and competitors alike were first
entertained by the highly engaging
keynote address by Mr. Chia, setting
the tone for an exciting encounter in
the Finals.
14 | Le Message
What followed was a public display of emotions by the finalists as they
eagerly sought to outwit each other using the various helplines available.
The many witty interactions between the finalists, in between the questions,
further spiced up the competition between them.

Hwa Chong Institution (Junior College Section) eventually emerged as the

Champion after 3 intense rounds, winning for themselves individual trophies
and a cash prize of $500. They were followed by ‘The 3 Unknowns’ from NUS
in 2nd place and Victoria Junior College in 3rd place.

The CCS 2009 Organizing Committee would like to take this opportunity
to thank all participants and teachers-in-charge for their enthusiastic
involvement in the event. The Committee is also grateful for the support
provided by staff from the Office of Student Affairs and relevant administrative
bodies throughout the planning and organizing of the event.

Do look out for publicity materials for CCS 2010 in the months ahead. In the
meantime, enquiries can be directed to ccs@nuspa.org. We look forward to
your participation at the Challenge next year!

Ho Kee Meng
Chancellor’s Challenge Shield
Director

Le Message | 15
 NUSPA Forum
The Singapore government’s shared values are as follows:
1. Nation before community and society above self
2. Family as the basic unit of society
3. Community support and respect for the individual
4. Consensus, not conflict
5. Racial and religious harmony

The nuclear family structure has always been emphasised by the government,
and they expect family ties to be always abided by and highly valued. This
expectation is evident in the lack of governmental support in Singapore for
the old and disabled as compared to other comparatively affluent countries.
The same, however, cannot be said about Singapore’s “competitor”, Hong
Kong. Hong Kong was until recently a British colony and thus had similar
welfare system as Britain’s. The system not only provides welfare handouts
for the elderly, but also for the disabled. Although the welfare system is far
from perfect, the elderly are assured of certain forms of social security. This,
however, is lacking in Singapore, despite the introduction of “ComCare”,
whose objective is to help needy Singaporeans. “ComCare” was introduced
in 2005, but the main goal and basic emphasis of this fund is for families to
be self-reliant.

In 1996, Attorney General Walter Woon introduced the “Maintenance of

Parents Act”. It is a measure put in place to ensure that the elderly in a family
are being cared for. A summary of the “Maintenance of Parents Act” is as
follow: An elderly above the age of 60, incapable of caring for themselves
can apply legal means to enforce an order, which requires one or more of
the elderly’s children to provide a monthly maintenance allowance. Lately,
however, there has been a series of worrying events concerning the elderly in
Singapore, resulting in them being abandoned and uncared for.

16 | Le Message
The onslaught of the global financial crisis has resulted in many living in
impecunious situations, with many more in constant fear of losing their jobs.
The Straits Times recently reported a “rise in the number of people defaulting
on the bills for their parents’ stay” in nursing homes. Another relevant report
published earlier this year in Lianhe Zaobao cited the rise in the number of
Singaporeans sending the elderly in their family to nursing homes across the
causeway in Johor Bahru, simply to save money because it is comparatively
cheaper than nursing homes in Singapore.

In relation to this topic, the NUS Students’ Political Association would like
to present a chance for all students to share an evening with Member of
Parliament for Tampines GRC, Miss Irene Ng and Member of Parliament for
Tanjong Pagar GRC Mr Baey Yam Keng. They would be giving a talk on the
topic “Which would you defend - Family or Individualism” on 17th September
2009. Further details will be released on http://www.nuspa.org in due course.

Lim Hwee Teng

NUSPA Forum Director

Le Message | 17
Internal
Events
Internal Events are value-added
activities meant to further integrate
and enrich NUSPA members. Each
year, the director is tasked with
organising these events, including
the annual Appreciation Dinner, and
this year proved no exception.
In the Academic Year 2008/2009,
the Internal Events department
started off by organising a BBQ. It
was the gathering of fresh faces, the
commencement of new beginnings
and a chance to get to know
the members of NUSPA outside
annual meetings. It was a night
filled with much fun, laughter and
weirdness (throwing ice-cubes to kill
hamsters?!), ensuring that the year in
NUSPA started off on a high note.
18 | Le Message
Following that first bonding session,
Internal Events held a Xmas Pot Luck
cum gift exchange. What better way
to celebrate the season of giving by
having a session filled with food and
presents! All members were given
instructions to prepare a present
that was gender-neutral and within
a budget of $20. The presents were
then be pooled together and a lucky
dip determined who received which
present. Held right smack in the
middle of the holidays, the session
was a great time to catch up with one
another and learn about each other’s
plans for the holiday season and the
New Year.
The next event was a learning
journey trip. The purpose of a
learning journey is for the members
to learn more about Singapore’s
heritage. We decided to take a trip
to the new and improved Supreme
Court at 1 Supreme Court Lane to
find out more about Singapore’s
highly efficient justice system.
To say the least, the trip to the
Supreme Court was a fruitful one.
The new Supreme Court building,
which was officially opened on
7 January 2006 by President S.R.
Nathan, was equipped with the
latest IT developments to facilitate
hearings. Entering the building, we
were greeted with the Supreme
Court Gallery which gave us a
succinct overview of the significant
developments in Singapore’s legal
history, as well as major legal
milestones since the founding of
Singapore. We quickly got acquainted
with one of the most efficient legal
systems in the region, and a judicial
system which operates with almost
no perceivable imbalance, whether
in political leanings or corruption
of the judiciary. During the trip,
members of the club were also lucky
enough to sit-in in an open hearing
for the Court of Appeal in which two
of the three Judges of Appeal, Judge
of Appeal Justice Andrew Phang and
Judge of Appeal Justice V K Rajah
were present. It was certainly an eye-
opening trip.
Next on the list was a steamboat
session held to mark the end of
the semester’s exams. This was the
perfect opportunity to catch up on
each other’s current projects, and a
time to engage members regarding
non-NUSPA matters.
The Appreciation Dinner marks the
end of the Academic Year. A year’s
worth of events, commemorating
the hard work all members have put
in. This year’s Appreciation Dinner
was held in the NUSSU Guild House
at Suntec City. After slogging away
for NUSPA for the past Academic
Year, it is now time for NUSPA to
reward its members for working
hard by throwing them a sumptuous
dinner. This dinner is also one of
the few occasions where all the
NUSPA members from the separate
committees get a chance to mingle
with each other one final time before
starting the academic year afresh
again.
Michelle Chan
Internal Events Director
Le Message | 19