the ridge

ridgeonline.wordpress.com

Green Carnival
The Grass is always greener
on the Other Side ... Your First
Five Steps to going Green

MICA (P) 218/01/2008

The Slip - Nine Inch Nails

Download the album for free!
Read the review for more info.

Careers: J.P. Morgan

Interview with Eric Khoo

02 desk
desk 03
02 editorial

have
w a rming is. It is
al ris
glob ate c
s a bout obal clim
g l
arnin cing a g
he w f a ” y
an : “ T
ea r e ce . s rts b
w o rds r t i m e. W n s e quen t e s t effo c an
m ous a l o ng d of co r t h e la : H ow
’S fa for a pe
ri o
e co
v e tio n eful
A LG
ORE
l y c lear ri n g a r, w h e ques nd peac
me nte ye .T ea
AS
extre are e mic staff itabl
been ing. We w a cade mia, and rit a hab
en r ne ade inhe
deep of ou ents, ac rations e
g is s u e
s t u d g e n e s ta rs? W y
eni n ers : ure th e ma
th e op takehold g our fut g u nder eshmen t in
In
t h r e es n s u rin fo r a jo d -u p fr fo r swea
our it to
e ad are ts
omm o he . Ge even
we c w h ere t calories e s and
re e lac
Eart
h? unsu urn thos to our p Our
u s and t to b u id e o rtal.
m p n o a g y P ion.
ca re r r
Libra express
y in g on n to whe pages fo U S d
St a tio orts dN an
atten r Sp nitie
s an
opin
ion,
draw owse ou m u u r,
br S Co
m olo
also for c
. n e w NU appetite
NUS ith th
e
your
e p up w o satiate
e t W
lso k turn \ODV
We a s also re O HWKH
a r Z K L
u l 
reg HHNV
H  ¿ UVWZ
WK
ULVK
&KH R
u.sg DIRE
CTO
p hua n u s.ed T IVE
is r@ E A
denn iefedito CR e Lu
m
d g e ch C laryc
ri
N
EISG
S FD
NEW Hau H E A DO
n ha
Jaso Lim yukt
e tte Sam Y
Lyn A PH
OGR
P HOT
O F
P OK
EN
alai HEAD ga
O R O UTS n a m Y o
FE
D IT
An Ad i
CHIE P h ua K okila
nis
Den (PRIN
T)
OP Y
EDIT
OR
C Bhat
R Y L E
LIFES Baaquie
O T
EDIT has
U TIVE h S u
i Yee Arzis
C
EXE ING
g Pe MAR
KET
Won LIN E)
l O F
R (O
N
DITO SME
DIA
ohai HEAD iling
IV EE TRAN ah bin S Tan
Hu
r
urrai
U T
EXEC h Yan H
na rint
Han b y xpop
ed
WIRE sh Singh
D Print
TARY e
SECR a Gopi
E
Gurm
my
Sow
TER
MA S
WEB
i Jian
Ho Y
photo sxc.hu
 contents 03
new
s

GREEN CARNIVAL .. .. .. .. ..06

CORS/FASS MODULE ALLOCATION .. ..12
SHORTCUT TO DANGER .. .. .. ..14
out YOUTH OLYMPIC VILLAGE NO LONGER AT NUS ..16
spo
ken SINGAPORE ART CAFE .. .. .. ..18

tra
nsm HIGHER EDUCATION AND NUS .. .. ..20
edi
a
MUSIC REVIEW: NINE INCH NAILS .. .. ..24
wir INTERVIEW: ERIC KHOO .. .. .. ..26
ed FILM REVIEW: LOCAL FILMS .. .. .. ..28

TECH BUZZ: FUJITSU PRODUCT REVIEW .. ..34

spo SPOTLIGHT: NUS COMMUNITIES .. .. ..36
rts SPOTLIGHT: NUS LIBRARY PORTAL .. .. ..38

reg SRC FACILITIES .. .. .. .. ..40

ula
rs NUS SPORTS EVENTS AHEAD .. .. ..42

NUS SNIPPETS .. .. .. .. ..04

COMMENTARY .. .. .. .. .. ..09
PHOTO STORY.. .. .. .. .. ..10
spe BORDERS BOOK REVIEWS .. .. .. ..22
cia THE PEOPLE PAGE .. .. .. .. ..30
l
CAREERS: JP MORGAN .. .. .. ..32

For marketing opportunities, please post your enquiry to

ridgechiefeditor@nus.edu.sg

NUSSU Secretariat, Yusof Ishak House,

31 Lower Kent Ridge Road, Singapore 119078.
04 nus snippets

NUS Literary
Society
Creative
Writing THE COMPETITION aims to recognise outstanding student writing and to encourage
the practice of creative writing among Singapore youths. It contains two
FDWHJRULHVSRHWU\DQG¿FWLRQDQGLVRSHQWRDOO186VWXGHQWV(DFKRIWKHWZR
Competition FDWHJRULHVLVMXGJHGE\DQHVWDEOLVKHGORFDOSRHWZULWHUZLWKSUL]HVJRLQJWR

2008/9 the top three entrants of the category. Visit http://literarysociety.wordpress.

com/about-the-creative-writing-competition RU HPDLO nuslitsoc@yahoo.
com.sgIRUDQDSSOLFDWLRQIRUPDQGPRUHLQIRUPDWLRQ

NUS Students’ Interfaith

Interest Group
THE NUS STUDENTS’ Interfaith Interest Group takes
UHOLJLRQVHULRXVO\,QLWLDWHGE\HQWKXVLDVWLFVWXGHQWV
IURPGLIIHUHQWIDLWKVWKHUHFHQWO\ODXQFKHG6WXGHQW
Interest Group hopes to promote the exchange
RILGHDVH[SHULHQFHVDQGPXWXDODPLW\DPRQJVW
VWXGHQWVRIGLYHUVHIDLWKVWKURXJKLQWHUDFWLYH¿HOG
WULSVWHUPHG³+DUPRQ\7ULSV´±WRSODFHVRI
ZRUVKLS,WZLOODOVRHQJDJHDFWLYHO\LQLQWHUIDLWK
GLDORJXHVZKHUHVWXGHQWVZLOOKDYHWKHRSSRUWXQLW\
to share their perspectives on various issues, such
DVPDWHULDOLVPUHODWLRQVKLSVDQGKXPDQULJKWVZLWK
SHRSOHIURPDOOZDONVRIOLIHLQFOXGLQJVFKRODUVDQG
UHOLJLRXVOHDGHUV%H\RQGXQGHUVWDQGLQJGLIIHUHQW
IDLWKVDQGSHUVSHFWLYHVWKH1866WXGHQWV¶,QWHUIDLWK
,QWHUHVW*URXSORRNVWRFUHDWHRSSRUWXQLWLHVIRU
VRFLDOLQWHUDFWLRQWKURXJKFRPELQHGIDLWKIHVWLYH
FHOHEUDWLRQVDQGPHDQLQJIXOFRPPXQLW\VHUYLFH
SURMHFWV(PDLOnus_interfaith@yahoo.com.sg for
PRUHGHWDLOV

THE NUS FLIGHT and Space Interest Group is organising

WZRÀLJKWVRQDQG$XJXVW(DFKSDUWLFLSDQWZLOOJHWWR
Jabiru Flying Trips
À\IRUWKLUW\PLQXWHVRQD-DELUX$LUFUDIW<RXZLOOEHWDXJKW
WKHEDVLFVRIÀ\LQJDQGUDGLRWHOHSKRQ\,QWKLVSDFNDJH
\RXZLOOEHDEOHWRÀ\DQGKDYHWKHFKDQFHWRFRPPXQLFDWH
RQWKHUDGLR,WLVDXQLTXHH[SHULHQFHWRORRNIRUZDUGWR
<RXJHWWRH[SHULHQFHDPRFNHQJLQHIDLOXUHVWHHSEDQNV
FOLPEVGHVFHQWVDQGHYHQSRVLWLYHDQGQHJDWLYH*V$OO
these at a price of S$100 to $S110 a person. Register at
blueclues12@yahoo.comZLWK\RXUQDPHPDWULFXODWLRQ
number, and handphone number.
 nus snippets 05

NUS MOTORING CLUB is working together

with Mitsubishi Motors Singapore, to bring
the popular TV series Mitsubishi Challenge
NUS-MITSUBISHI CHALLENGE
to NUS in September. The NUS-Mitsubishi
Challenge is an “Amazing Race” style
competition that will require participants
to navigate around Singapore in their
YHKLFOHVVRDVWR¿QGFKHFNSRLQWVDQG
complete challenges in order to gain points.
Participants can expect themselves to be
stretched both physically as well as mentally
as they amass points with the aim of being
crowned overall champions. All NUS
students, staff as well as alumni are eligible
to register for this competition, which will be
held on the 13th of September 2008.

CALLING ALL ¿WQHVVHQWKXVLDVWV/HW¶VZHOFRPHEDFN186+\SHUMLYH

NUS 7+(PDVVDHURELFVPDUDWKRQHYHQWRI186+\SHUMLYHJLYHVDFDUGLRYDVFXODU
ZRUNRXWZLWKRXWFRPSURPLVLQJWKHIXQDQG]HVW

Hyperjive On top of an exhilarating exercise, participants stand to win amazing prizes in

RXUOXFN\GUDZ([FLWLQJJRRGLHEDJVZLOOEHSURYLGHGWRR$OOWKLV$1'PRUH
2008 DWDQDIIRUGDEOH

So, what are you waiting for? Tighten those sneakers and stride up with 300
RWKHUVWRH[SHULHQFHWKHEHVWRI$HURELFVLQWKLVXQLTXHPDVVHYHQW

5HJLVWUDWLRQGDWHVWKWK$XJXVWDWDEHQFKDORQJ&HQWUDO/LEUDU\
Walkway, from 10am-6pm.

For more information, contact Khairah (94895935) or Agnes (97911725) or

e-mail nus_aerobics_club@yahoo.com

THE NUS STUDENTS ,Q)UHH(QWHUSULVH1866,)(WHDPLVXQLTXH

NUS Students In
2XUSURMHFWWHDPVGHYHORSFRPPXQLW\DQGHGXFDWLRQDORXWUHDFK
SURMHFWVWKDWWHDFKHQWUHSUHQHXUVKLSPDUNHWHFRQRPLFVEXVLQHVV Free Enterprise
HWKLFVDQG¿QDQFHWRPDNHDGLIIHUHQFHWRWKHOLYHVRIRWKHUV

7KLV\HDUWKH6,)(:RUOG&XSEULQJVWRJHWKHUPRUHWKDQQDWLRQDO
6,)(WHDPFKDPSLRQVWR6LQJDSRUH

1866,)(FRUGLDOO\LQYLWHV\RXWRRXU:HOFRPH7HDDWWKH%XVLQHVV
School on 13 August, 6pm.

For more information, please write to nussife@nus.edu.sg or visit

http://www.sife.org.
06 news
The grass
on the other side is...
NOT always greener.
On our side of the pasture here in Singapore, we
enjoy an environment that is clean and protected for
us. Here, our grass is green.
Yet over the fence, the world is facing serious
environmental issues that are a cause for worry.
Professor Tan Chor Chuan, Senior Deputy
President of the National University of Singapore
(NUS), said, “Here in Singapore we live in a
comfortable, well-tended environment with clean
water and clean air (that) we do not feel or see the
immediate impact of environmental degradation.”
Mr. Ong Wei Tao, chairperson of NUS Students
Against Violation of the Earth (SAVE) and a third-
year Social Work major, feels that Singaporean
youth are in fact aware of the environmental
Professor Tan Chor Chuan
text & photo Lynette Lim | lynette_lim@nus.edu.sg
issues, but because we do not experience their
repercussions, we tend to be apathetic towards it.
“Nevertheless I’m hopeful for change because
ultimately, as youths, we are the ones who are going
to live through this exciting era of tackling climate
change,” he said.
Prof. Tan agreed that while everyone has a part
to play in saving our environment, youths have
a special role, as “they will be the leaders and
captains of industry of tomorrow”.
“If they appreciate the need and importance of
environmental preservation, they will be our hope for
the future,” he said.
Mr. Ong is one of the many student activists in
SAVE who are passionate about the environment.
He was recently awarded the HSBC/NYAA Youth
Environmental Award 2008.
He has been part of SAVE for the past two years,
and has been volunteering in the Buddhist Tzu
Chi Foundation (Singapore Branch) for the past
three years. His efforts were recognised when he
approached the Campus Sustainability Committee in
NUS to do a recycling project.
His passion for the environment cause was sparked
in a heap of rubbish, at least three metres tall, which
he sorted into recyclables of different types (plastics,
paper, glass etc) in a recycling centre in Taiwan.
 news 07

Ong Wei Tao in Tam Dao, Vietnam, to

SHUIRUPDVWXG\RIEXWWHUÀLHVHFRORJ\
in relation to climate change and
KXPDQDFWLYLWLHVDVSDUWRIWKH+6%&
NYAA Youth Environmental Award

He himself has made it a point not to print anything

“The time taken for a can of drink to be sold,
consumed and disposed of might merely be 10
minutes, yet behind that one can is an entire
manufacturing and extraction process, which creates
a lot of carbon emissions along with it,” he said.
“Every single action we make has an impact, and
when the climate change issue aggravates, there
will be much more suffering and heartache,” he said.
Mr. Ong’s worldviews and values changed then,
when he linked what he did and the things he
consumed to the suffering of the world.
Since then he has come a long way.
if possible, storing most documents as soft copies,
over the past year.
“We are already seeing a growing appreciation of
environmental issues today, and I believe that this
awareness will accelerate,” said Prof. Tan.
“All of us must try to do our part by being more
aware of the impact that our lifestyle and choices
have on the environment... and make adjustments to
mitigate the negative aspects.”
Echoing Prof Tan’s sentiments, Ong said, “Scientists
have not been hopeful about the future, but that is
not reason to give up.”

'HVSLWHLQLWLDOGLI¿FXOWLHVGXHWRQRWKDYLQJDQ\SULRU
experience in leading an organisation like SAVE, it
has nevertheless been memorable for him as he and
his team have watched their projects bear fruit.

“Rebate2Earth has successfully reduced a

VLJQL¿FDQWDPRXQWRISODVWLFEDJXVDJHLQWKH&2
OP (sic), and getting the school administration to
support handing in assignments on double sided
prints was a sweet achievement for us as well, as
we saw the impact of what we did,” he said.

The NUS administration has been instrumental in

this cause as well.

According to Prof. Tan, the university is “moving

PRUHDQGPRUHRIRXUSURFHVVHVWR,7EDVHG
Ong Wei Tao (far left) with two other
systems, rather than rely on using large amounts
members of his team at the NUS Bukit
of paper, which are often wasted and which also
7LPDK&DPSXVSURPRWLQJWKHXVHRI
involve a great deal of photocopying”.
Tupperware’s for taking away lunch.
08
08 news
news
Students
take the
ÀUVWÀYH
steps to go
GREEN.
text Audrey Ng | audrey_a@nus.edu.sg
HAVE YOU NOTICED how some lecture theatres are not
as cold as before? Or how your print-outs turn out
double-sided when printing notes in school?
These are the results of the 1 Degree Up and
SAVE3s campaigns organized by NUSSU SAVE
(Students Against Violation of the Earth); the main
environmental body in the National University
of Singapore (NUS), in an effort to promote
environmental awareness on campus.
1 Degree Up aims to reduce energy consumption
by setting all thermostats in NUS to 25 degrees
Celsius, while SAVE3s, as the name suggests, aims
to save paper and trees by setting all printers in
NUS to default double-sided printing.
According to NUSSU SAVE, students will not be
penalized for handing in assignments that are
printed double-side.
Senior Deputy President of NUS, Professor
Tan Chorh Chuan, who has a keen interest in
environmental issues, said he was “heartened by
the student initiatives which have stepped up to take
the lead.”
Other student-initiated projects by NUSSU SAVE
are, Zer0waste, Rebate2Earth, and Food4Thought.
As part of the Zer0waste’s initiative to promote
recycling and reduce waste on campus, more
recycling bins will be placed at strategic locations
such as outside examination halls and residential
halls.
Rebate2Earth was launched on Feb 4, 2008 to cut
down on the number of plastic bags used in NUS by
charging 10 cents for each plastic bag at the NUS
CO-OP.
NUSSU SAVE has plans to extend this program to
all canteen outlets by late August 2008.

Our dietary habits have negative effects on the
environment, and this issue is tackled by the
Food4Thought campaign. It seeks to educate on
how to adopt a sustainable diet by reducing one’s
meat intake and collaborating with canteen vendors
to provide more vegetarian dishes.
All these student initiatives are all part of NUSSU
SAVE’s goals to tackle climate change and involve
WKHHQWLUHVWXGHQWSRSXODWLRQLQWKH¿JKWDJDLQVW
climate change.
Fourth-year FASS student Ms Jennifer Goh is
supportive of students being more involved in
environmental issues. However, she thinks “the
school should also make it easier for students to be
environmentally conscious”.
“Perhaps they could place recycling bins in more
accessible locations,” she suggested.
news 09
There will also be a photography competition
with the theme “Capturing Climate Change” for
photographers to highlight their work and bring to
attention the persistent issue of climate change.
However, Mr. Chen feels that there is a lack of
urgency among students when it comes to the
issue of tackling climate change.
He expressed concern that while people are aware
of the negative effects of climate change, there is
not enough drive to combat it.
Through the Green Carnival, Mr. Chen hopes that
people would become more aware of the urgency
of the problem and take positive action.
The Green Carnival will be held in NUS from Aug.
25-27, 2008.

³6XVWDLQDELOLW\LVWKHNH\WRVXFFHVVLQ¿JKWLQJ
climate change,” said Mr. Chen Zhirong, Projects
Director of the Green Carnival.

The Green Carnival 2008, NUSSU SAVE’s main

DQQXDOÀDJVKLSSURMHFWDLPVWRUHDFKRXWWRWKH
whole NUS population to create awareness about
climate change and its repercussions.

It will also serve as a clear indication of NUS’s

FRPPLWPHQWWR¿JKWLQJFOLPDWHFKDQJHSXEOLFO\

The Carnival will display various exhibitions that

explore the issue of climate change and provide
informative material.
10 news
Two Cent Saloon
In this new regular feature, we explore the pressing issues that you
have been thinking of in an informal setting. Designed to engage you,
comments and feedback are highly welcome. Enjoy!
“INTERNSHIPS” IS THEODWHVWEX]]ZRUGLQRXUDFDGHPLFZRUOGDQGLWZLOOSUREDEO\¿OOPXFKRIWKHFRQYHUVDWLRQV
occurring around you now.

,QDFDUHHUZRUNVKRSKHOGE\WKH&RPPXQLFDWLRQVDQG1HZ0HGLD&10SURJUDPPHODVWVHPHVWHUD

VSHDNHUVSRNHDERXWWKHQHHGWRGLIIHUHQWLDWHIURPRWKHUV

,QWHUQVKLSVVHHPOLNHWKHURXWHWRJRLQDFKLHYLQJWKDW

'XULQJP\DUP\UHVHUYLVWWUDLQLQJ,KDGVRPHGLVJUXQWOHGDUP\PDWHVDQJU\WKDWWKH\ZHUHXQDEOHWRGHIHU
XVLQJLQWHUQVKLSVDVDUHDVRQ

2QHZHQWDVIDUDVWRVD\WKDWKLVHQWLUHIXWXUHDQGFDUHHULVLQUXLQVEHFDXVHKHLVXQDEOHWRFRPSOHWHD
ZHHNLQWHUQVKLSZLWKD¿UP

:KLOHLWPD\EHDVWUHWFKWRVD\WKDWRQHPLVVHGLQWHUQVKLSZLOOUHOHJDWH\RXWRLQP\PRWKHU¶VZRUGVEHLQJ

DURDGVZHHSHULWLVLPSRUWDQWWRQRWHWKHHPSKDVLVSODFHGRQLQWHUQVKLSVWRGD\

7KLVLVDQDUHDZKHUHWKH1DWLRQDO8QLYHUVLW\RI6LQJDSRUH186VHHPVWRKDYHORVWWRXFKZLWKKHU

students.

,WLVH[DVSHUDWLQJWRVHHWKDW186RQO\RIIHUVYDFDWLRQLHVKRUWWHUPLQWHUQVKLSVDQGQRWVHPHVWHUORQJ

programmes.

2WKHUORFDOXQLYHUVLWLHVVXFKDV1DQ\DQJ7HFKQRORJLFDO8QLYHUVLW\DQG6LQJDSRUH0DQDJHPHQW8QLYHUVLW\
ZRUNDFRPSXOVRU\VL[PRQWK,QGXVWULDO$WWDFKPHQW,$SURJUDPPHLQWRWKHLUV\OODEXV

7KH&10SURJUDPPHGRHVRIIHUDVL[PRQWKLQWHUQVKLSPRGXOH10EXWLWRQO\RIIHUV0&VWRVWXGHQWV
0&WRPDMRUDQG0&WRHOHFWLYHVRXWRIWKH0&VJHQHUDOO\UHTXLUHGHDFKVHPHVWHU

7KLVZRXOGPHDQWKDW\RXHLWKHUWDNHRQHH[WUDPRGXOHIRUWKUHHVHPHVWHUVRUJRWRVXPPHUVFKRROWRPDNH
XSIRUWKH0&VKRUWIDOO

$VD&10PDMRUOHDUQLQJDERXWZULWLQJDQGVWUXFWXULQJDQHZVVWRU\LQWKHOHFWXUHKDOOEDUHO\VFUDWFKHVWKH
VXUIDFHLQWKHZRUNLQJVRIDMRXUQDOLVW

,PDQDJHGWROHDUQVRPXFKPRUHE\GRLQJDVWLQWDVDQLQWHUQMRXUQDOLVWZLWK7KH6WUDLWV7LPHVRYHUWKH
YDFDWLRQSHULRG±VRPHWKLQJDFODVVURRPHQYLURQPHQWFDQQHYHUUHFUHDWH

0\VKRUWHLJKWZHHNVSHOODW67DOORZHGPHWRJDLQVRPXFK1RZLPDJLQHZKDWDVL[PRQWKSURJUDPPH
ZRXOGGRLQWHUPVRIJDLQLQJNQRZOHGJHDQGH[SHULHQFH

,ZDWFKZLWKHQY\P\IHOORZ178DQG608FROOHDJXHVZKRRQDVL[PRQWKDWWDFKPHQWOHDUQVRPXFKPRUH
EXLOGLQJDVROLGQHWZRUNDQGFUHDWLQJERQGVZLWKWKHSHUPDQHQWVWDII

:LOO,RUDQ\ERG\HOVHEHDEOHWRUHFUHDWHWKLVZLWKLQDVKRUWHQHGHLJKWWRZHHNVSDQ",WLVSRVVLEOHEXW
KLJKO\XQOLNHO\0RUHRYHU,DPQRWHYHQJRLQJLQWRWKHRWKHUEHQH¿WVRILQWHUQVKLSVVXFKDVRSHQLQJGRRUV
WRWKHFRPSDQ\IRUDSHUPDQHQWMRE

,QFRQFOXVLRQ186VWXGHQWVDUHORVLQJRXW,WLVKLJKWLPHWKHVFKRRODGPLQLVWUDWLRQWDNHVDORQJKDUGORRNDW
WKHLQWHUQVKLSSURJUDPPHEHIRUHLWLVWRRODWH
text-DVRQ+DX_MDVRQKDX#QXVHGXVJ
 news 11

Stair climbing is an un-

graded yet compulsory
NUS activity
text & photo &KLQ0HL.XDQ_PNFKLQ#QXVHGXVJ

IF YOU ARE READINGWKLVSXEOLFDWLRQIRUWKH¿UVWWLPHZHOFRPHWRWKH1DWLRQDO8QLYHUVLW\RI

6LQJDSRUHIUHVKPHQRI$<

,IORRNLQJDWWKLVSLFWXUHUHPLQGV\RXRIWKHHQGOHVVVWDLUFOLPELQJ\RXZLOOEHGRLQJDJDLQ
ZHOFRPHEDFNVHQLRUV

<RXPLJKWQRWKDYHORRNHGDWLWWKLVZD\EXWDVZHFOLPEWKHVHQRWRULRXVÀLJKWVRIVWDLUVDWWKH
186DVXQGHUJUDGXDWHVZHDUHPRYLQJXSWRZDUGVPRUHODGGHUV±WKDWRIWKHDGXOWZRUOG

6RLI\RXQHHGKHOSDVN1RRQHKDVDOOWKHDQVZHUVEXW\RXPD\MXVW¿QGRQHZKRKDVWKH
RQH\RXQHHG%HFDXVHHYHU\RQHQHHGVDOLWWOHKHOSGHI\LQJJUDYLW\QRZDQGWKHQ

$QGLWLVDORQJFOLPEDKHDG
/RRNXSDQGQRWGRZQ/RRNIRUZDUGDQGQRWEDFN
/RRNRXWDQGQRWLQDQGOHQGDKDQG
(GZDUG(YHUHWW+DOH
12 news

Of CORS Planning text Fabius Chen | fabiuschen@nus.edu.sg

WHEN STUDENTS from the Faculty of Arts and Social

Sciences (FASS) began planning for the new
semester, their preparations hit a roadblock.

The Module Preference Exercise (MPE) is meant for

FASS students to indicate which major modules they
plan to take in the coming semester.

The faculty will then pre-allocate these modules to

students, wherever possible.

This time round, however, deciding which modules to

WDNHZDVVLJQL¿FDQWO\PRUHGLI¿FXOW

For the entire duration of the MPE, from 10 to 15 July

2008, the full listing of modules was unavailable on
the Centralised Online Registration System (CORS)
website.

This meant that FASS students could only view

information for modules within their home faculty, on
the faculty website.

$W¿UVWEOXVKWKLVPLJKWQRWVHHPWREHDELJSUREOHP
The MPE, after all, is meant for listing FASS modules
that one wishes to take.

However, it made planning for taking modules

RXWVLGH WKH IDFXOW\ FRQVLGHUDEO\ PRUH GLI¿FXOW DQG
problematic.
In NUS, where university-level requirements see to
it that every student has to take at least one module
from outside their home faculty each semester, having
full access to all the modules offered is crucial.
When fourth-year communications and new media
student Ms Irys See learnt of this, her reaction was
one of surprise.
“I didn’t know I could check the respective faculties,”
she said.

As it turns out, full module information was available “In that way, it was irritating that I had to wait for the
on each faculty’s website, leaving students to piece full listing to be posted centrally and an inconvenience
together bits of information from different sources. overall.”

Unfortunately, many students were missing this little It was a hassle that a large majority of students
titbit of information. wanted no part of.
 news 13

ng Modules Is Hard
For the faculty, their efforts in pre-allocating these
modules would also be wasted when a student ends
up dropping one of them.

Moreover, when bidding period starts, the faculty

staff will have to keep a close eye on the number of
students in each class to ensure that all available
YDFDQFLHVDUH¿OOHG

$V IRU VWXGHQWV WKH\ PLJKW MXVW ¿QG WKDW D PDMRU

module that has been pre-allocated to them clashes
with an elective they are interested in taking.

It would then take time and effort to re-organise their

timetable, ensure that there are no other clashes and
¿QDOO\ELGIRUWKHHOHFWLYHVWKDWWKH\ZDQW

For third-year psychology major Ms Alicia Ngerng, it

was more than a problem of merely re-planning her
classes.

“I would also have to forgo one or two bid points when

I drop modules that have been pre-allocated to me,”
she said.

It is standard CORS’ policy that there will be no refund

for modules obtained at one bid point if the students
decide later on to drop the modules.

This may seem unfair, considering the circumstances

According to Mr Bernard Lee, it was impossible to
that surrounded this semester’s debacle.
properly plan for either Breadth or General Education
Modules (GEMs) without knowing the class and
7KH RI¿FLDO H[SODQDWLRQ LV WKDW WKHUH ZDV D QHZ
H[DPLQDWLRQVFKHGXOHVIRUPRGXOHVRXWVLGH)$66
member of the CORS team, who took a little more
time to list all the information centrally on the CORS
The third-year sociology major said, “The lack of
website.
LQIRUPDWLRQGH¿QLWHO\KLQGHUHGP\WLPHWDEOHSODQQLQJ
Not knowing the schedule of non-FASS modules
All these are unnecessary inconveniences that could
had a domino effect that made planning my FASS
have been easily avoided, as Lee points out.
modules that much harder.”
“It would have saved everyone a great deal of time and
7KLV PHDQV H[WUD ZRUN IRU DOO SDUWLHV LQYROYHG DIWHU
effort if the full module listing had been available on
the full module listing is made available.
the CORS website during the MPE,” he commented.
14 news

text & photo Eileen Poh | poh.eileen@nus.edu.sg

WALKING 10 MINUTES through a quiet park, as

compared to half an hour on a bus, seems
attractive enough for people to risk the
potential dangers involved.

Clementi Woods, located opposite the

National University of Singapore (NUS)
School of Design and Environment, is often
used as a shortcut between campus and
housing estates located along West Coast
Road.

The 12-hectare park, used occasionally by

joggers, does not lie along any main road,
with the exception of its entrances and exits.

Sodium streetlights, which give a dim orange

glow, light the park at night. Dense vegetation
DOVRÀDQNERWKVLGHVRIWKHIRRWSDWK

Entrance of the park from the bridge leading to SDE3

Although NUS students do not commonly frequent

the route, there are those attracted by the
convenience and time saved by travelling through
this short cut.

Ms. Wong Yen Peng, a third-year Psychology

student, said, “Instead of walking the perimeter of
the park and then taking a bus to NUS, I can cut
directly through the woods.”

“It saves a lot of time and there is no need to wait

for the bus,” Wong added.

The 22-year old has used the park as a shortcut

Dense vegetation that could provide perfect
to NUS when she was staying over at her aunt’s
hiding spots for people with malicious intentions
West Cove Condominiums.
 news 15

Clementi Woods came into the limelight with the

recent sexual assault case involving a female NUS
student on Jun. 20, 2008.

The incident has since become a talking point on

campus, with students raising concerns of campus
safety.

A Sunday Times survey of 60 students in the

three local universities published on Jun. 29, 2008
UHÀHFWHGWKDWPRVWVWXGHQWVIHOWWKDWWKHLUFDPSXVHV
are safe.

A subsequent poll of 20 NUS students by the ridge “People usually take things for granted over
seems to indicate similar views, with many citing PDWWHUVVXFKDVVDIHW\´VDLG0U*OHQ1JD¿UVW
NUS as a safe campus. year Business student.

Yet there is cause for worry.
Eighteen of the 20 students approached by
the ridge felt that the school is responsible for the
safety of its students, as long as they are within the
school area.
Although all the students the ridge spoke to also
believed that individuals also share responsibility
for their own safety, such reliance, even partial, on
school authorities warns of possible complacency.
The Clementi Woods incident also draws to
attention the fact that students require such
incidents to occur to remind themselves that
constant vigilance is necessary.
“It is only when a matter such as the sexual assault
FDVHVXUIDFHVWKDWSHRSOHZRXOGWKHQUHÀHFWXSRQ
where they have gone wrong, and what preventive
measures could be taken,” said Ng.
The incident has indeed gotten students more
aware and alert on issues of personal safety.
“I might consider avoiding it [the park] or have
company with me when taking the road late in
WKHQLJKW´VDLG0V&KHQJ0XL/LDQDIRXUWK\HDU
Sociology student.
“There is always the possibility that such an
unfortunate incident may happen,” she added.
Mr. Ng agrees, “I would rather not risk my safety
even if it takes more time to travel a little more.”

“Safety should not be compromised,” he surmised.

“People usually take things for granted over matters

such as safety,”
 0U*OHQ1JDÀUVW\HDU%XVLQHVVVWXGHQW
16 news
Youth Olympics Village no lon
Rise in building expenses incurred from accelerating the
construction of University Town was the main reason for the
switch.
IN AN UNEXPECTED turn of events, the National
University of Singapore’s University Town (U-Town)
will no longer site the Youth Olympic Village (YOV)
for the inaugural Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in
Aug 2010.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC)
approved a proposal by the Singapore Youth
Olympic Games Organising Committee (SYOGOC)
on Aug 2 to relocate the YOV to its alternative
option, the existing National Technological University
(NTU) campus.
U-Town was initially presented as the primary site
for YOV in Singapore’s bid to host the games. As
constructions were underway for U-Town, SYOGOC
cited the NTU campus as an alternative site in
contingency.
Originally scheduled for an Aug 2010 completion
date, construction works were accelerated to Feb
2010 to be in time for the games.
With a global increase in construction cost and
materials, this acceleration would now mean a
VLJQL¿FDQWLQFUHDVHLQEXLOGLQJH[SHQVHVIRU186
In a joint media statement issued by NUS, NTU and
SYOGOC released to students on Aug 2, SYOGOC
concluded that the change of venue to NTU would
be a more “prudent choice”.
“The decision would be consistent with IOC’s
instructions to keep the costs of organising YOG at
a reasonable level,” the statement said.
text Eileen Poh | poh.eileen@nus.edu.sg
Andrea Song | peachberries@gmail.com
The change of venue comes despite assurance by
authorities that the completion will be on time.
A Straits Times article on Feb. 7, 2008 reported
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong dismissing doubts
that U-Town could not be completed on time.
In another article on May 27, 2008, The
Straits Times reported Minister for Community
Development, Youth and Sports Vivian Balakrishnan
giving his assurance that construction of the U-Town
is on schedule, in a written reply to Mr. Seah Kian
Peng.
³,W>WKHFKDQJHLQYHQXH@GRHVQRWUHÀHFWZHOO
on NUS,” said Arif Rahman, a third-year political
science student. “I don’t see why they can’t push for
a bit more funds.”
When the ridgeDWWHPSWHGWRUHDFKWKH2I¿FH
of University Town Development, they were
unavailable for comment by press time.
The switch in venue raises a question – was the
earlier plan of accelerating construction of U-Town
too ambitious?
An expert in real estate approached by the ridge had
commented that the project “could be done”.
However, the expert, who declined to be named,
suggested that the venue change was possibly inline
with a series of public building project deferments.
 news 17

longer at NUS
The government was reported to have postponed
a total of $4.7 billion worth of projects to 2010 and
beyond in an attempt to ease pressure on building
costs, in an article by The Straits Times dated 23 Jul
2008.

In response to the change in venue of YOV, Background on U-Town

Jeraldine Tan, a fourth-year sociology student, said
the change did not make much of a difference to
her. • When completed, U-
“It is not like we as students will do anything about
town will provide a global
it,” said the 22-year-old. learning environment for up
to 6,000 students.
Several others cited themselves as “not being
bothered where it [the games] will be held at” and
“not thinking very much about it”. • Nineteen hectares of land
will be occupied by U-Town
While others do not concern themselves with the
loss, students such Ong Zheng Wei, a second-
year chemical engineering student said he felt • U-Town will be connected
“disappointed” at the switch. to Kent Ridge Campus via
Lim Yi Shan, a life sciences honours student, agreed
a vehicular and pedestrian
with Ong. bridge across the Ayer
Rajah Expressway.
“I would feel that it really is a pity that NUS has lost
the honour of hosting the Youth Olympic Games,”
said Lim. • U-Town will host the
Singapore-MIT Alliance for
However, she added that it was “more important to
deliver a better Youth Olympic Games”.
Research and Technology
60$57WKHÀUVW
“In the end, we still want to make Singapore proud.” research centre within
the National Research
Foundation’s Campus for
$Q2I¿FHRI8QLYHUVLW\7RZQ'HYHORSPHQWPHHWLQJ Research Excellence And
ZDVVFKHGXOHGLQWKHZHHNRI$XJDVthe ridge
ZHQWWRSULQW$VVXFKZHDUHXQDEOHWRSURYLGH
Technological Enterprise
XSGDWHVIURPWKHRI¿FH3OHDVHFKHFNRXUZHEVLWHDW (CREATE)
ULGJHRQOLQHZRUGSUHVVFRPIRUWKHODWHVWXSGDWHV
• U-Town will also host the
Asia Research Institute
18 news
As Singapore Art Cafe Closes,
A Spirit of Esplanade Is
text Hannah Yan | photo Sean Lim Chong Meng
AUG 1 2008 may be just another Friday for visitors
to Esplanade. But as some music-lovers knew,
a part of the Esplanade spirit was to be lost. The
Singapore Art Cafe (SAC) located within the
library@esplanade was to close down the next day
and this was its last Open Mic.
In a Facebook message, Mr. Jonathan How, the
owner of SAC, sent out to group members one week
before, he wrote: “I had to choose between quality
of family life and the cafe. I chose the former. but I’m
still adamant about having the best of both worlds.
So... a revival of the SAC in the future? I dare not
EDQJP\¿VWDQGFU\\HV,ZDQWWR´
The message immediately triggered a lot of
replies. According to a later message titled “You’re
WKH,QVSLUDWLRQ´-RQDWKDQZURWHWKDWKHZDV
“OVERWHELMED by the outpouring of support,
VDGQHVVHQFRXUDJHPHQWDQGDI¿UPDWLRQLQ
response to the news that the Singapore Art Cafe is
FORVLQJ´
The cafe has hosted Open Mic every Friday 7pm
to 9pm the last three years where anyone is free
to come up onstage to belt out songs, be it an
LOST
too many people signed up the previous Friday and
didn’t get a chance to sing.
At the end of the last Open Mic, Jonathan spent
some time catching up with old friends and new
acquaintances. While some called themselves
³LUUHJXODUSHUIRUPHUV´WKH\FRQVLGHUHGWKHPVHOYHV
³UHJXODUIULHQGV´RI-RQDWKDQ
Daniel Jives, a regular patron of SAC who has
performed from time to time in the cafe the last two
years, said: “The cafe is my second home. It was
ZKHUH,KDGP\¿UVWSHUIRUPDQFH´
Biddy, singer from local band Ark Analogy said she
has always wanted to come to SAC to sing and has
done so twice. “The cafe has really great culture.
People who perform here feel at ease and were
given the chance. It’s not only the closing down of a
FDIHLWLVWKHFORVLQJGRZQRIDVSLULW´VDLG%LGG\
Another singer, Sean Lim who had his debut at the
last S-Pop Open Mic the cafe held said “it was a sad
RFFDVLRQ´DQGKDGVSHFLDOO\PDGHWLPHWRVLQJDW
the cafe before it closed. He sung a Mandarin song
E\(ULF0RRWLWOHG³<L:DQJ*XR4X´³)RUJHWWKH
original or a cover. The cafe has also hosted another
programme S-Pop Open Mic every last Thursday
of the month. Occasionally, Jonathan himself would
make an appearance and accompany the singer
onstage.
People who performed in Open Mic were usually
working adults or tertiary students who came down
after work or school for a chill-out session at the
cafe.
3DVW´
“After two and a half years, I can
ÀQDOO\KDYHDUHVW%XWLW·VDOVR
KHDUWEUHDNLQJ7KHFDIHKDVEHFRPH
DODUJHSDUWRI PH1RZLW·VOLNH
VRPHWKLQJLVJRQHµ
0U-RQDWKDQ+RZowner
RI WKH6LQJDSRUH$UW&DIH

As word got around about SAC’s imminent closure,

more people started turning up for performances
ZKLFKVDZWKHFDIH¿OOHGWRLWVPD[LPXPFDSDFLW\
with people seated at the adjacent library area.
Likewise, that Friday’s Open Mic was held because
 news 19
Besides playing host and helping to raise
WKHSUR¿OHRIVHYHUDOORFDOPXVLFDFWVWKH
FDIHKDVDOVRVHUYHGDVDPHHWLQJSODFHIRU
PXVLFLDQVDQGDSODFHWRPHHWPXVLFLDQV
,QFK&KXDVLQJHURIORFDOEDQG$OOXUDKDV
SUHYLRXVO\ZRUNHGDWWKHFDIHDVDZDLWUHVV
IRU¿YHPRQWKV

:KHQWKH6$&ZDVWRFORVHIRUWKHGD\DQG
KLVFUHZVWDUWHGSDFNLQJXSWRJRKRPH
-RQDWKDQWKDQNHGWKHPIRUWKHZRUNGRQH
WKDWGD\+HWROGthe ridge: ³$IWHUWZRDQG
DKDOI\HDUV,FDQ¿QDOO\KDYHDUHVW%XWLW¶V
DOVRKHDUWEUHDNLQJ7KHFDIHKDVEHFRPHD
ODUJHSDUWRIPH1RZLW¶VOLNHVRPHWKLQJLV
JRQH´

:LWKWKUHH\RXQJFKLOGUHQZKRUHTXLUHKLV
DWWHQWLRQDQGORYH-RQDWKDQGHFLGHGWKDW
ZRUNLQJPRUHWKDQWHQKRXUVDGD\DWWKH
FDIHZDVQRWDIHDVLEOHORQJWHUPSODQ
)DPLO\EHLQJWKHPRVWLPSRUWDQWWR-RQDWKDQ
KLVGHFLVLRQWRFORVHGRZQWKHFDIHDQG¿QG
DGD\MREZDVRQHWKDWKDGWREHPDGH
<HWKHDGGHGWKDWKHZRXOG³QHYHUIRUJHW
WKHIULHQGVKLSV´DQGWKHSDVVLRQIRUWKHDUWV
IRXQGLQWKHFDIH³,WPHDQVPXFKPRUHWKDQ
WKHEXVLQHVVLWVHOI´

6$&¶VPRWWRZDV³7KHDUWVLVDMRXUQH\
.HHSZDONLQJ´$OWKRXJKPDQ\VLQJHUV
QRZKDYHWRZDONWKHLUMRXUQH\VHOVHZKHUH
-RQDWKDQVDLGWKHUH¶OOEHRWKHUJRRG2SHQ
0LFVLQWRZQDQGHQFRXUDJHDVSLULQJVLQJHUV
WRVHHNRXWRSSRUWXQLWLHV

+RZHYHUPDQ\SHUIRUPHUVKDYHH[SUHVVHG
WKHLURSWLPLVPRQWKHUHRSHQLQJRI6$&

:KHQDVNHGZKHQWKH6$&ZLOOEHUHRSHQHG
-RQDWKDQVDLG³:KHQWKHWLPHLVULJKW´
20 outspoken
Semesters are really boring, really.
text Thet Lin Thu
[BEFORE THE SEMESTER STARTS]: I am really enthusiastic
about this semester’s modules. Mathematical
Methods in Physics II, Electrodynamics I, Quantum
Mechanics I. I start reading up the course pages,
visit all the websites, download all the pdfs and free
lecture notes on the subject online and fail to read
them for the entire semester, but anyway...
[Start of semester]: They are teaching us ‘A’ levels
DOORYHUDJDLQLWKDSSHQVDWWKH¿UVWZHHNRIHYHU\
semester. Mini revision. I wonder why they do this at
I go to lectures but fail to see the point. Can’t
FRQFHQWUDWHDQGHQGXSWDONLQJDERXWKRZ7KH'DUN
Knight doesn’t deserve its No. 1 position at IMDB.
'RQ¶WUHDOO\NQRZZKDWOHFWXUHUVDLG,KRSHKH¶V
ORXV\ZLOOFKHFNQH[WWLPH,JRIRUOHFWXUH6XGGHQO\
a friend has a major problem with a CCA which
he needs help with. Waste a few days doing CCA.
.LQGDZRUWKWKHH[SHULHQFHDQGWKH¿JKWZLWKWKH
project director.
,KDYHQRWGRQHP\WXWRULDOVIRUWZRZHHNVQRZ
1DKLW¶VRN7ZRWXWRULDOVFDQEHGRQHLQSUREDEO\
two minutes. I read in the library and ditch the
OHFWXUHQRWHVDORQJZLWKWKHOHFWXUHUZKRLV
SUREDEO\ORXV\7KHTXLHWOLEUDU\JLYHV\RXDOO
DOO'LGQ¶WUHDOO\ERWKHUWRGR¿UVWZHHNWXWRULDOVLQFH
WKHWUDQTXLOLW\WRWKLQNUHDOO\UHDOO\ORQJDERXWWKH
it’s so cheap anyway.
philosophy of the subject. Never mind the tutorials.

,UHDOL]H,KDYHDPLGWHUPLQWZRZHHNV+DYHQ¶W
Revision continues. When are they gonna give us done a single tutorial nor did I go for any.
the real deal? I visit the library, borrow the classical :HHN6WDUWEODPLQJSURIHVVRUVIRUQRWJHWWLQJ
ERRNVZULWWHQE\WKHPDVWHUVHJ5XGLQ*XHVV
what I did with them the entire semester? Lecture
notes are boring. When you learn, you learn from
Newton and Kant, else you don’t learn at all. That’s
probably true.
wtf the course is about and crappy lecture notes..
:HHN6WDUWEODPLQJP\VHOIIRUIRUZKDWGLG,
GRWKHODVWIRXUZHHNV"
:HHN6WDUWEODPLQJ186DQGSURIHVVRUV
again for having uninteresting, unintellectual and
algorithmic course content.
:HHN$ZZ,VKRXOGKDYHDUHVWRQ6DWXUGD\V
and Sundays. Need to clear away the depression
yeah? Need to destress.

HOORAY!! MID SEMESTER BREAK!! Have
midterms next week, but that’s like seven days
away.
Week 6.5: Haven’t started, will start soon.
:HHN'LGQ¶W¿QLVKWKHWXWRULDOVLQWKHHQG
?
Midterms. Only 20%. They say midterms never
GHFLGHWKHJUDGHRQO\¿QDOVGR,EHOLHYHLQ
semi-empirical nonsense (as long as there are
anecdotes). Statistics is for losers.
84 X 20% = 16.8
I WANT AN A!
/HFWXUHUZDVQ¶WORXV\DIWHUDOOKHKDV¿QLVKHG
chapter 10 and is really nice. Decide to catch up and
actually overtake.
Midterm results come out. More anecdotes. Still
camping out in the library, still have not done
tutorials. Books tell one story, notes tell another.
Books talk about inevitability of the subject
but lecturer and tutor whacks problem-solving
algorithms like some humorless AI.
Finished overdue project for one of the modules. Pat
self on back. Go out for a drink with project mates.
Still have not done tutorials.
outspoken 21
Revelation Space hits hard. I am done for. Go
into high school mode. Finish all tutorials. By
reading solutions. Actually can’t comprehend
some solutions. Curse modules which don’t upload
solutions !#$!^&@% ... lousy lecturer wasn’t one of
them, his solutions are on the over-detailed side.
Mope around in library from eight to 10. Still catching
up for some modules. Some modules cleared.
Problem is, the ratio is 5 to 1. And I only took 6 of
them. Guess which side of the ratio is which.
Reading week. Time crawls to a standstill, like some
indie movie. My life just turned indie. Library Vivaldi
concerto (or is it Brahms?) rings in ears (you can
hear this piece if you stay late enough in the library,
but only on certain days).
Lousy lecturer asks all the questions he said he
would ask in his lousy lecture.
Seriously do not do this. Risk failing in life by
following in my footsteps.
22 transmedia

SHANTARAM
Love, war, honour, spirituality, loyalty, hope, grief, courage,
fear and much more ...
text Christel Geralyn Gomes | goddess.gomes@gmail.com

EVERY WRITER WHO takes it upon himself to pen a
933-page novel has the uphill task of sustaining the
reader’s waning attention. Gregory David Roberts
does this effortlessly. Shantaram opens with a bang,
and carries its pace and keeps its grit throughout.
Roberts introduces his protagonist, Lin, a prison
convict on the run, as he steps off a plane into
Bombay’s searing heat and into a world where fate
links him to the emerald-eyed beauty Karla, who
opens to him the darker side of India; and Prabaker,
a Bombay street guide who smiles through his
soul. Prabaker soon blesses him with the joys of
IULHQGVKLSDQGFRPPXQLW\OLYLQJLQWKH¿OWK\EULOOLDQW
heart of Bombay and its steaming seething slum life.
$¿FWLRQDOLVHGDXWRELRJUDSK\6KDQWDUDPFRPELQHV
philosophical cleverness and wit, high action, an
intimate look at Bombay’s rich culture and the darker
side of its underworld. There is nothing this novel
is not about; love, war, honour, spirituality, loyalty,
hope, grief, courage and fear are but a few of the
long list of themes taken by the neck and shaken to
its roots.
multidimensional. His character is infused with the
sort of deeply hungering passions only a writer
retrospectively self-aware can pen with such
intensity and truth. Elegantly poetic prose meets a
society of colourful characters; there is hardly a dull
moment.
Shantaram is at its core a compassionate,
sorrowing, loving and laughing tribute to the human
heart and a love song to Bombay – a place the white
man has come to call home.
A basic knowledge of Indian culture would make
your reading experience all the richer, but without,
there is plenty to learn from in this passionate
account of a man’s incredible journey which
is ‘universalised by a complex architecture of
allegorical and symbolical sub-strata.’
$OWKRXJK6KDQWDUDPUHDGVOLNHD%ROO\ZRRG¿OP
– but better – it is Hollywood that will release the
movie in 2009, starring Johnny Depp and Amitabh
Bachan.

Be prepared to tumble along on a journey that takes

you into a world so few see and even fewer tell
about, much less in a voice shining with such pure
honesty and vulnerability.

The novel twists its way through a decade of

experience shocking you with brutality in the dark
photoZZZIXQN\XQFHQVRUHG¿OHVZRUGSUHVVFRP

corners of Indian prisons, war-caves of Afghanistan

and in the whispering private rooms of the Bombay
PD¿D

But to say the novel is about the dark side of human

existence is not even a half-truth. Its hero, Lin,
christened “Shantaram” – meaning ‘man of peace’
– by the villagers of a tiny Marathi speaking village,
quests to become just that, and his struggles with
morality are too often our own.

%HLQJVHPLDXWRELRJUDSKLFDOWKH¿UVWSHUVRQ
narrative voice of its hero is richly authentic and

Midnight Never Come
$QDQFLHQWSDFWPDGVHHUVDQGHOÀQVSLHVDGRUQWKLVODWHVW
KLVWRULFDOIDQWDV\IURP0DULH%UHQQDQ6RXQGVIDQFLIXO"
photoZZZOLWWOHEURZQFRXN
AN ANCIENT PACTPDGVHHUVDQGHO¿QVSLHVDGRUQ
WKLVODWHVWKLVWRULFDOIDQWDV\IURP0DULH%UHQQDQ
6RXQGVIDQFLIXO"7REHVXUH%UHQQDQ¶V(OL]DEHWKDQ
FRQVSLUDF\PD\QRWEHIRUHYHU\RQH¶VVWRPDFKEXWLW
FHUWDLQO\VWLOOOHDYHVRQHZLWKDFRRODIWHUWDVWH
'HOLFLRXVO\UHSOHWHZLWKDOOWKHPXUGHUDQGP\VWHU\
RIWKH7XGRU&RXUW0LGQLJKW1HYHU&RPHLVDWDOH
RIUHGHPSWLRQLQDGHFLGHGO\KDUVKDQGXQIRUJLYLQJ
ZRUOG
8QGHU(OL]DEHWK,WKHFRXUWÀRXULVKHVLQXQEULGOHG
GHFDGHQFH¿WWLQJLQGHHGIRURQHRI(QJODQG¶VPRVW
FHOHEUDWHGPRQDUFKV%XWVXFKH[FHVVHQWDLOVJUHDW
GHEWDQG(OL]DEHWKWRRLVERXQGE\WKHSULFHRIKHU
VXFFHVV$VWKHUHDGHU¿QGVRXWZKLOH(OL]DEHWK
PD\EHWKHUXOHURI(QJODQGDERYHXQGHUJURXQG
WKHUHLVDQRWKHUUXOHU,QYLGLDQDWKH4XHHQRI)DLULHV
DQGWKHIHDUHGUXOHURIWKH2Q\[+DOO
transmedia 23
text/HRQJ6X=KHQ_OHRQJV]#KRWPDLOFRP
$WWKHKHDUWRIWKHPDWWHUOLHVDVHFUHWSDFWEHWZHHQ
WKHWZRTXHHQVZKRVHGHDOKDYHEURXJKWWKHPWKH
VXFFHVVLIQRWWKHKDSSLQHVVWKH\FUDYH
+RZHYHUDOOLVQRWZHOOLQHLWKHUWKHKXPDQRUWKH
IH\FRXUWVDVDOOLDQFHVFRQVWDQWO\VKLIWDQGOR\DOWLHV
DUHZDWHU\(QWHULQJWKHVFHQHDUHWZRFRXUWLHUV
/XQHDIDLU\VS\DQG0LFKDHO'HYHQDQHZO\
PLQWHG*HQWOHPDQ3HQVLRQHUZKRPXVWXQUDYHO
WKHWUDJLFLQWULFDFLHVRIWKH2Q\[+DOODQGXQFRYHUD
GDVWDUGO\SORWEHIRUHWKLQJVWDNHDWXUQIRUWKHZRUVH
&RPSOH[DVWKHSORWVRXQGV%UHQQDQ¶VIDQWDVWLFDO
WDOHLVQRWDWDOOKDUGWRIROORZPDNLQJIRUDOLJKW
HDV\UHDG%RWKQHZFRPHUVDQGKDUGFRUHUHDGHUV
RIWKLVUDWKHUVSHFL¿FJHQUHDOLNHZRXOGEHDEOHWR
HQMR\WKHJUDGXDOXQIROGLQJRIWKHSORWWKHVSDUN
RIFKHHV\URPDQFHDQGRIFRXUVHWKHWHDVLQJRXW
RIUHIHUHQFHVWRUHDOOLIHHYHQWVSHRSOHDQGRWKHU
OLWHUDWXUHDOORIZKLFKDUHJLYHQDIDQWDVWLFDOWZLVW
*LYHQ%UHQQDQ¶VH[SHUWLVHLQWKHDUHDRIIRONORUHDQG
DQWKURSRORJ\LWLVXQVXUSULVLQJWKDW0LGQLJKW1HYHU
&RPHDERXQGVZLWKGHWDLORIWKHIDLU\LQKDELWDQWV
DQGWKHLUTXLUNV
7KRVHH[SHFWLQJDFHUHEUDODFFRXQWRIWKH
EDFNVWDJHZRUOGRI(OL]DEHWK¶VFRXUWZLOOKDYHWRORRN
HOVHZKHUHKHUHWKHERXQGDULHVRIUHDOLW\DQG¿FWLRQ
DUHDVLQWHUPL[DEOHDVWKDWEHWZHHQWKH2Q\[+DOO
DQG(OL]DEHWKDQ(QJODQG,GHQWLWLHVDUHRIWHQÀXLG
DQGHYHQWKHQWKHÀXLGLW\RIWHQFRQIXVLQJO\SRLQWV
WRDJHQXLQHDQGQHFHVVDU\VWDWHRIEHLQJJLYHQWKH
KDUVKSROLWLFDOJDPHVSOD\HGE\DOOPHPEHUVLQWKH
FRXUWKLHUDUFK\ZKHUHRQHIDOVHVWHSPD\OHDGWR
RQH¶VGHPLVH
7KHFKDUDFWHUVDUHEHOLHYDEOHDQGWKHSORWHDVLO\
NHHSVWKHUHDGHURQKHUWRHVJLYLQJRXWRQO\
WDQWDOL]LQJELWVRIWKHSX]]OHVKHUHDQGWKHUH
7ZRSDUWVP\VWHU\RQHSDUWURPDQFHDQGDSLQFK
RIFKLOOLQJ0LGQLJKW1HYHU&RPHPDNHVIRUDQ
HQWHUWDLQLQJVXPPHUUHDGDOOURXQG
24
24 transmedia
transmedia
Lights
in the sky
A full length studio album
from one of the biggest rock acts today
for free???
text Hurrairah bin Sohail | hurrairah@gmail.com
artwork http://dl.nin.com/theslip/
ABOUT THE ARTIST
NINE INCH NAILS, commonly referred to as NIN,
almost exclusively the child of Trent Reznor, is an
industrial rock act from America.
With almost 20 years in the music business and
eight albums to date, there is no doubt that NIN
UDQNDVRQHRIWKHPRVWLQÀXHQWLDODUWLVWVRIRXU
generation (one that is sadly quite bereft of a share
of rock gods).
David Bowie has compared NIN to The Velvet
Underground and Reznor has appeared on the
7LPHPDJD]LQH¶VOLVWRIPRVWLQÀXHQWLDOSHRSOHIRU
the year 1997.
Nine Inch Nails melds drum beats, synth loops,
jarring guitars and noise on their studio albums and
then effectively deconstruct it for the live spectacle.
“Thank you for your continued and
loyal support over the years – this
one’s on me” – Trent Reznor
The revolving door of artists that have played for
NIN include Twiggy Ramirez (Marilyn Manson),
Aaron North (The Icarus Line) and Robin Finck
(Guns ‘n Roses) among many others, all of
which have made every incarnation of the band a
progression from the old.
:LWK1,1¿QDOO\EHLQJIUHHRIFRQWUDFWXDOREOLJDWLRQV
to record companies, it seems that with the new
album The Slip, Trent Reznor is set to move not
only his band and music forward, but also bring its
distribution, retail and dissemination into the modern
era.
Totally embracing the digital age, the last few NIN
albums have all relied heavily on the internet. Year
Zero (2007) was marketed entirely through an online
reality-based game, while Ghosts I–IV (2008) and
The Slip (2008) have both been distributed online
before their physical release.

THE SLIP
Transmedia Rating:
Nine Inch Nails eighth album The Slip (or Halo
27) has been put out on the independent Null
Corporation label, which seems to be an extension
of Trent Reznor’s own Nothing Records, and clocks
in at around 44 minutes (the shortest NIN album
since Pretty Hate Machine).
The album is a twisted amalgamation of man
and machine, metal and melody. The sound for
the record is classic NIN with dark, funky beats,
industrial hisses and clicks, aural soundscapes and
lush piano.
In fact, the songs on The Slip are so reminiscent of
Reznor’s work from The Downward Spiral (1994)
and The Fragile (1998) that the album seems like
a greatest hits collection, which is not necessarily a
bad thing.
That being said, this album stands out as some
of NIN’s best work to date. The music still retains
its ability to transport the listener to an entirely
different darker, subversive reality. The drums have
a particular snarl, the guitar tones are a shade
different and the vocals and synth sound more
menacing than ever, even though their delivery
is softer this time round, making the album an
excellent piece of music.
Songs like “Echoplex” make the listener feel as if he
is claustrophobic while standing in open space. And
WKLVSDUDGR[LFDOIHHOLQJLVWKHGH¿QLWLYHLPSDFWThe
Slip leaves on you, with songs like “Corona Radiata”
and “The Four Of Us Are Dying” following in the
same vein. The latter two are entirely instrumental
WUDFNVVKRZLQJ5H]QRU¶VJURZLQJFRQ¿GHQFHLQKLV
orchestration and compositional prowess.
transmedia 25
But what clearly sets The Slip apart from all of
NIN’s preceding work are its lyrics. While Reznor
has previously sung about copulating like an animal
and feeling you from the inside (“Closer”), on the
QHZWUDFN³'LVFLSOLQH´ZKLFKLVWKH¿UVWVLQJOHRII
the album, he questions his deviant streak: “Is my
viscousness losing ground?” The lyrics “I’d rather
die/ Than give you control” (“Head Like A Hole”)
have now been replaced by “I need your discipline/
I need your help”.
Another feature which has been carried forward
from Ghosts I –IV (2008) is the fact that all the
songs are accompanied by unique pictures or
artwork giving all the songs individual identities and
making the album a more multi-
dimensional, layered work of art.
To top off what is already a truly
impressive album, Reznor does
Radiohead one better and has
made the entire album available
for download completely gratis.
While Radiohead might have asked
(begged?) consumers to pay what
they like, Trent Reznor doesn’t ask
for a single pence. In his own words
on the NIN website, the download
links for The Slip were accompanied
by the following message “thank you for your
continued and loyal support over the years – this
one’s on me”.
The Slip was released online under the Creative
Commons licence and can be downloaded free of
any charge from the following link: http://dl.nin.com/
theslip/. I strongly recommend everyone to have a
listen, since it won’t be costing you a buck.
A physical release of the album is also to follow.
The Slip will be released as a numbered digipack.
The CD will come with a live DVD of the band
rehearsing material, a 24 page booklet and stickers
and there will only be 200,000 copies pressed.
26 transmedia

the ridgeWDONVWRÀOPPDNHU(ULF.KRRRYHUDJODVVRILFHGZDWHU
DERXWKLVODWHVWÀOP¶0\0DJLF·$QGDELWPRUH
text :RQJ3HL<HH_MHVXVRIVXEXUELD#JPDLOFRP
photo =KDR:HL)LOPV

WHEN FILMMAKER (ULF.KRR¿UVWHQWHUV

LQWRVLJKWWKLVZULWHUEUHDNVLQWRDVPLOH
+HLVLQKLVWUDGHPDUNEODFNWVKLUWEODFN
WKLFNULPPHGJODVVHVJROGFKDLQDURXQG
WKHQHFNDQGMHDQV³$K)LQDOO\KH¶V
KHUH´VD\V)RQJ&KHQJDSURGXFHU
DW=KDR:HL)LOPVZKRKHOSHGDUUDQJH
WKLVLQWHUYLHZ7KHUHLVDURXQGRI
LQWURGXFWLRQVDQGKLVKDQGVKDNHLV¿UP
DQGZDUP

:KLOH.KRR¶V¿OPV0HH3RN0DQ
6WRUH\VDQG%H:LWK
0HDUHFRQVLGHUHGDQLQWHJUDO
SDUWRIWKH6LQJDSRUH6LQJDSRUHDQ¿OP
FDQRQWKHUHLVVRPHWKLQJDERXWWKH
¿OPPDNHUWKDWSXWVKLPDWRGGVZLWK
ZKDWVXSSRVHGO\GH¿QHV³6LQJDSRUHDQ´
±DVRUWRIXQGHUJURXQGUHEHOIURPWKH
ZD\KLV¿OPVUHYHDOZLWKVWDUWOLQJFODULW\
DQRSSUHVVLYHQHVVLQ6LQJDSRUH¶V
HQYLURQPHQWDQGVRFLHW\ULJKWGRZQ
WRWKHJXPKHLVFKHZLQJGXULQJWKH
LQWHUYLHZ

³,W¶VIRUP\JXPGLVRUGHU,KDYHDJXP
GLVHDVH\RXNQRZ´KHGHDGSDQVLQD
GHHSDQGRSHQWHQRUEHIRUHEXUVWLQJ
LQWRDVKRUWODXJK

$OWKRXJK.KRRKDVEHHQNQRZQWRKDYH
DQDIIHFWLRQIRUEHHU³$OFRKROLVOHJDO
DPRQJVWRWKHUWKLQJV«´KHRUGHUVLFHG
ZDWHUIURPWKHEDUDW*RRGZRRG3DUN
+RWHODOVRZKHUHKLVSURGXFWLRQKRXVH
=KDR:HL)LOPVLVVLWXDWHGDWWKHKRWHO
QRWWKHEDU³,GRQ¶WGULQNEHHUYHU\
RIWHQDQ\PRUH,¶PQRZPRUHRIDYRGND
DQGWRQLFSHUVRQ´KHVD\V

However, it’s also probably because
it’s four in the afternoon and he has a
meeting later. In fact, Khoo has squeezed
in this interview after another meeting with
the Health Promotion Board. “It was for
a commercial. Oh, you know the usual.
Smoke!, drink!, litter everywhere…”
He takes a sip of the iced water and still
chewing his gum begins by relating his
days as a student in Australia where he
studied cinematography at the City Art
Institute in Sydney during his late teens.
“You know, Australians are very laidback,
hanging around getting drunk. I remember
there was this bar called The Exchange
and we would start drinking at three or
four in the afternoon and get trash drunk.”
Given all that talk about alcohol, it is
also perhaps no surprise that Khoo got
WRNQRZKLVIDYRXULWH¿OPPDNHU)LQQLVK
director Aki Kaurismäki over “big cocktails
and talked till 3am in the morning.”
However, behind the camera, Khoo is
“strictly sober.”
.KRRZKRVD\VKH³ZDWFKHVDORWRI¿OPV
that other people don’t watch”, says that
ZKDWPDWWHUVWRKLPPRVWLQD¿OPLV³DQ
engaging story and the way it’s told.”
$ORQJVLGHKLVSHQFKDQWIRUKRUURU¿OPV
where he “would get right to the chase
and get right to the gore”, Khoo cites the
transmedia 27
³,W¶VD¿OPWKDW¶VYHU\SHUVRQDOWRPH
because I’m a father myself.” He
adds with pride, “Plus, did you know?
0\VRQ&KULVDFWXDOO\FRPSRVHGWKH
WKHPHWRWKH¿OP+HFRPSRVHVRQ
WKHÀ\,GRQ¶WNQRZKRZKHGRHVLW
EXWKHSOD\VMXVWOLNHWKDW´.KRRKDV
four sons aged nine to 14. The eldest,
(GZDUGKDVVWDUWHGPDNLQJVKRUW¿OPV
with a Super 8; James, 13, plays the
JXLWDU&KULVWRSKHULVWKHUHVLGHQW
FRPSRVHUDQGWKH\RXQJHVW/XFDV
ZDVGHVFULEHGDV³DMRNHU´E\WKH
affectionate father.
In describing the phenomenal response
0\0DJLFKDGDW&DQQHV.KRRLV
animated and still seems in genuine
awe of the event. “It’s amazing. There
were limousines. The precision of the
event was down to the second. It was
WKH¿UVWWLPHD¿OPZHVXEPLWWHGPDGH
it to the main competition. The scale
of it was astounding. I’ve never been
inside the hall and when I went in, I saw
the place and I was amazed. A little
6LQJDSRUH¿OPDQGZLWKWKHFKHDSHVW
EXGJHWQROHVV,WMXVWSURYHV\RXGRQ¶W
need a big budget and fancy effects,
MXVWDVLPSOHVWRU\WKDWLVZHOOWROG´
“There was this big burly man who
came up to me after the screening and
tried to hug me. This big, huge guy
– crying. It was phenomenal.”
LQGLHÀLFN/LWWOH0LVV6XQVKLQHDV
WKHNLQGRI¿OPKHHQMR\V
7KLVLVH[DFWO\WKHNLQGRI¿OP.KRR¶V
ODWHVWRIIHULQJ0\0DJLFLVOLNH6WDUULQJ
UHDOOLIHPDJLFLDQ%RVFR)UDQFLVDQG
secondary school student Jathishweran,
0\0DJLFLVDVLPSOHIDWKHUDQGVRQVWRU\
that Khoo has been pondering for several
\HDUVDQG¿QDOO\PDGH,QWKH¿OP)UDQFLV
plays an alcoholic who tries to reconnect
with his estranged son.
0\0DJLFZKLFKZLOOEHUHOHDVHGORFDOO\
WKLV1RYHPEHUZDVDOVRWKH¿UVW¿OP
from Singapore to qualify for the main
competition in Cannes.
After 45 minutes towards the end of
WKHLQWHUYLHZ.KRRLVYLVLEO\¿GJHW\³,
really need a cigarette. But we’re almost
done, right?”
Almost. After all is said and done, what
does Khoo want to leave behind?
7KHDQVZHULVVLPSOH³0\¿OPVDQGWKH
stories they tell.”
To read more of the interview, please
visit www.ridgeonline.wordpress.com
 28 transmedia
photo WDQSLQSLQFRPVJJHQTXLULHVKWPOSLFDVDZHEJRRJOHFRPH\HZLWQH]]

/LPVSHZLQJIUDFWLRXVGHDGSDQZLWDV7HH
HPEOHPDWLFRIWKHUHEHOOLRXV\RXQJHUJHQHUDWLRQ
ELGGLQJWRVWUD\IURPWKHDXWKRULWDWLYHROGJXDUG

LET’S ADMIT IT. 7KHUHDUHPDQ\¿OPVZKLFKGLVVHFWORFDO 6WRUH\VLVDUDUHJHP²DFRQVFLRXV

FXOWXUHEXWPRUHIRUVDWLULFDOSXUSRVHVUDWKHUWKDQWR H[SORUDWLRQRIWKHVXEFRQVFLRXVUHSUHVVLRQRI
IHHOJRRGHIIHFW KHDUWODQG6LQJDSRUHDQV

0RVW6LQJDSRUHDQ¿OPVDUHWUDJLFRPHGLHVDQGLQ Singapore Dreaming

DLPLQJWRUHYHDOKDUVKUHDOLWLHVDUHRIWHQELWWHUVZHHW 'LUHFWHGE\:RR<HQ<HQDQG&ROLQ*RKWKH
7KH\FKDOOHQJHWKHVHHPLQJSHUIHFWLRQRIWKHLVODQG KXVEDQGDQGZLIHWHDPEHKLQG7DONLQJ&RFN
VWDWHDQGTXHVWLRQRXUSULGHLQLWEXWDWUXHFHOHEUDWLRQ
RI6LQJDSRUHFDQDOVRFRPHIURPVLQFHUHSRUWUD\DOVRI
XQSOHDVDQWWUXWKVDQGPDQ\RIWKHVH¿OPVGRLWEHVW
12 Storeys
WKHPRYLH6LQJDSRUH'UHDPLQJGHDOVZLWK
WKHTXLQWHVVHQWLDO6LQJDSRUHDQPLQGVHW²WKH
SXUVXLWRIWKHµ&¶VWKHUDWUDFHDQGPDWHULDOLVP
LQXOWUDFRPSHWLWLYH6LQJDSRUHDQVRFLHW\
,WDOVRWDNHVDGLJDWWKHPRELOHSKRQHFDPHUD
FUD]\JHQHUDWLRQWKURXJKWKHUROHRIWKHQDLYH
3RSXODUO\UHJDUGHGDVWKHEHVW6LQJDSRUHDQ¿OPHYHU
WRJUDFHWKHVLOYHUVFUHHQ(ULF.KRR¶V6WRUH\VLV
DOVRWKH¿UVWORFDO¿OPWRVFUHHQDWWKHSUHVWLJLRXV
&DQQHV)LOP)HVWLYDO
.KRRSDLQWVDEOHDNSRUWUDLWRIORFDOKHDUWODQGOLIH
7KURXJKWKHGLIIHUHQWVWRULHVFRQWDLQHGLQXQLTXHO\
6LQJDSRUHDQ+'%ÀDWV.KRRFRQFXUUHQWO\H[SORUHV
WKHHPRWLRQDODUFKLWHFWXUHRIWKHKHDUWODQGV²ZLWK
WLJKWO\SDFNHGOLYLQJTXDUWHUVIRUPLQJSHUIHFWKRWEHGVRI
VWLÀLQJURXWLQH
:KROO\PDGHLQ6LQJDSRUH(ULF.KRRXVHVRQO\PXVLF
E\ORFDODUWLVWHVDQGKLVEROGO\VXEYHUVLYHVW\OHLV
VWULFWO\VDWLULFDO
%HVLGHVWKHVWURQJDUWLVWLFYLVLRQWKHUHLVDOVRD
PHPRUDEOHSHUIRUPDQFHE\D\RXQJ5RGHULFN
JLUOIULHQGSOD\HGE\6HUHQH&KHQRIWKHORVHU
JUDGXDWH6HQJ
+RZHYHUMXVWDV$PHULFDQVVWULYHIRUWKHLU
ULJKWVWRWKHSXUVXLWRIKDSSLQHVVZHWRR
KDYHWKH6LQJDSRUHDQ'UHDP7KLV¿OPLV
DQDXWKHQWLFDQGXQDGXOWHUDWHGWDNHRQWKH
GHVWUXFWLYHGHVLUHVRIWKHPLGGOHFODVVH[SORULQJ
GLVVDWLVIDFWLRQVVRUHDOLW¶VXQFRPIRUWDEOHWR
ZDWFK
Perth
3HUWKLVDQHPELWWHUHGWDOHRIHQQXLDQGYLROHQW
GLVVLGHQFHDQG/LP.D\7RQJLVFRPSHOOLQJ
DV0U+DUU\/HHD\HDUROGWD[LGULYHUZKR
GUHDPVRI3HUWKDVWKHXOWLPDWHUHWLUHPHQW
UHWUHDWDQGVHOIULJKWHRXVO\OD\VFODLPWRµWKH
VLPSOHOLIH¶ZKLOHUDJLQJDJDLQVWKLVRZQGHPRQV

The
Singapore
Story: 5
Local Films
To Go
Nationalist
text Tay Huizhen
benediction.jay@gmail.com
Mr. Lee does what Singaporeans do best —
complain, about his dissatisfactions with society.
However, his clamour for justice and integrity
simultaneously reveals cracks in his own character
as he hypocritically preaches loyalty.
Think Sean Penn in The Assassination of Richard
Nixon, or De Niro in Taxi Driver, and you’ve got the
picture.
The montage of a delirious Lee on the brink of
insanity serves up the difference, and sheds light on
local superstitious practices.
Perth is a brutally honest picture of a dark side of
Singapore most would choose to ignore, and the
LVODQG¶VFRQÀLFWHGFRVPRSROLWDQFXOWXUHLVPDGH
stark in this bold piece by Djinn.
Eating Air
Anybody remember the Teenage Textbook Movie
(1998)? There are few rom-coms in Singapore which
stand out, but Eating Air with its edge and verve,
spins it with pizzazz.
With perhaps the least obviously enchorial plot of
all, Eating Air is a refreshingly raucous exploration
of local gen-X life. Crafted for the anime generation
and Bruce Lee-fanatics, teenage fantasies of larger-
than-life forces take centre stage within the context
of Singaporean lifestyles.
Directors Kelvin Tong and Jasmine Ng kicks it
ROGVFKRROZLWKWKHLUVNHWFKRQJDQJ¿JKWVDQG
adolescent angst, and Augie March’s lyrics of how
“there’s nothing there, it’s like eating air...” is the
transmedia 29
perfect tongue-in-cheek
expression of the foibles of
Singaporean youth, who
race around on motorbikes
in dizzying expressway-
tunnel rides.
Easy on its satirical
punches, Eating Air is a
lovable MTV romance set
LQ0HUOLRQODQGD¿OPZRUWK
a watch just to behold the
potential of local cinema
and its delights.
Singapore Gaga
Tan Pin Pin’s Singapore Gaga warrants a mention
because its kaleidoscopic view breathes life beyond
the pragmatist veil of the island-state and sheds light
on its lesser-known facets.
The documentary is an hour-long showcase of
unsung heroes of everyday Singapore life, from
lonesome buskers to wheelchair-bound ‘tissue paper
lady’ Liang Yu Tao.
A shot of patriotic fervour is administered through
interviews with prominent home grown artistes
and poignant illustrations of their inspirations from
Singapore’s past.
A riveting scene involves 4”33’ (4 minutes and 33
seconds) performer, Margaret Leng Tan as she
conducts John Cage’s controversial composition at
a ‘void deck’. The silence renders Singapore’s aural
landscape the real star of the show.
7KH¿OPLVDKHDUWIHOWFODVVLFDV6LQJDSRUHDQVDUH
portrayed jocularly and simply as an endearing
race—of beautiful souls with their quirks and
peculiarities.
So Stand Up For Singapore and grab these titles to
get into the spirit of 9th August — to feel for oneself
the heart and soul of this land, and that of those who
inhabit it.
A visit to Sinema Old School should do the trick,
DQGZLWKDOOVRUWVRIORFDO¿OPSDUDSKHUQDOLDLV
guaranteed to put you in the mood for homegrown
art.
30 lifestyle

PeoplePage
Lifestyle asks you: What is the one
article of clothing/accessory that
you feel is a must-have for your
gender when going back to school?

6NLQQ\M
HDQVZK
dressing LFK¿WZ
HOOJRRG
good pa
up or do
wn. Eve IRU
ir you o n if its ju
tops me wn, com st one
ans no bining it
one has w ith other
to know
.
- Farah
Miller, B
- Kelvin Lee, Business

usiness
best accessory a man

A decent pair of jeans that can be worn on any day, at anytime - even
on the days when you rummage through the bottomless pit that is
your cupboard and feel nauseous at the prospect of having to dig out
something to wear to school
- Natasha Mitter, Arts
A hot girl on my arm is the

A must have for MY gender? Girls should

wear thongs with tight/white bottoms.
- Jasmin Kaur, Law


\VDQGKLS
IR UE RULQJ0RQGD RQ¶V 
\ÀDWV HUV
can have.

URPWUHQG OODERXWDS
KRHVRIFRXUVH) KRH VFDQ WHOO\RXD
6 D\V6
UÀLUW\)ULG
SXPSVIR
s
, Busines
w a rdro be. - N ih a ra Guruge
ENTIRE

Bag! You can tell a

person’s personaility from
his or her bag, ie. plastic
bag versus leather bag.

I’ll go for shoes too, different shoes for - Grace Chew Lusheng
different occasions. Business
- Luke Cheong Zheng Chang, Arts
desk 03
32 career

In the JPMorgan Fast Lane

Mention JPMorgan, and a vision of gleaming suits and a
fast-paced work environment comes to mind. We speak to
the people at the prestigious investment bank to get in-
sights into life at JPMorgan. text'HQQLV3KXD_GHQQLVSKXD#QXVHGXVJ

AS THE SOFT RAYS RIWKHHDUO\PRUQLQJOLJKW¿OWHUHG FRUSRUDWLRQV:KLOHVKHDGPLWVWKHUROHLV

into the conference room in Capital Tower, four
186VWXGHQWVEX]]HGH[FLWHGO\7RGD\PDUNHG
WKH¿QDOZHHNRIWKHLUVXPPHULQWHUQVKLS
SURJUDPDQGRQHFRXOGIHHOWKHLUH[FLWHPHQWWR
UHODWHWKHLUXQLTXHH[SHULHQFHV
7KHZHHNORQJ6XPPHU,QWHUQVKLS3URJUDP
FRPPHQFHGRQ0D\2XWRIWKHLQWHUQFODVV
VL]HRIVWXGHQWVIURP6LQJDSRUH8QLYHUVLWLHV
ZHUHIURP1867KHVHVWXGHQWVZHUHSODFHGLQ
YDULRXVOLQHVRIEXVLQHVVHVLQWKH¿UP±LQFOXGLQJ
FKDOOHQJLQJVKHZDVJLYHQDORWRIJXLGDQFHDQG
RSSRUWXQLWLHVWROHDUQ
³0\PDQDJHULVUHDOO\KHOSIXODQGZLOOLQJWR
WHDFKPH7KHUHDUHDOVR³/XQFKDQG/HDUQ´
VHVVLRQVZKHUHZHSLFNXSYDOXDEOHWLSVIURP
WKHH[SHULHQFHVRIRXULQWHUQDWLRQDOO\GLYHUVH
FROOHDJXHV7KH\RIIHUPHQHZSHUVSHFWLYHVDQGDQ
DGGHGVHQVHRIGLUHFWLRQLQP\OLIH´
9LVD\RQ9LUDYRQJ%XVLQHVV)LQDQFHPDMRUZKR
7UHDVXU\DQG6HFXULWLHV6HUYLFHV766,%
2SHUDWLRQV,%)LQDQFH6DOHV 7UDGLQJDQG
5HVHDUFK$SSOLFDWLRQV6XPPHULQWHUQVKLSVLQ
WKH¿UPRSHQHGDVHDUO\DV$XJXVWODVW\HDU
-DQLFH*RKRQHRIWKHLQWHUQVZKRKDGMXVW
JUDGXDWHGZLWKDQ(FRQRPLFVGHJUHHKDG
DSSOLHGIRUWKHLQWHUQVKLSODVW6HSWHPEHUEHFDXVH
³-30RUJDQLVRQHRIWKHVWURQJHVWLQYHVWPHQW
EDQNVLQWKH¿QDQFLDOVHUYLFHVLQGXVWU\DQGDYHU\
JRRGEUDQG´
2QHRIWKHREMHFWLYHVRIWKHLQWHUQVKLSSURJUDP
LVWRSURYLGHKLJKSHUIRUPLQJVWXGHQWVIURP
6LQJDSRUH8QLYHUVLWLHVD¿UVWKDQGH[SHULHQFHRI
ZRUNLQJLQWKH¿QDQFLDOVHUYLFHVLQGXVWU\
LVLQWHUQLQJLQWKH)LQDQFHGHSDUWPHQWDGGHG
³7KHUHDUHDOVRLPSUHVVLYHUHVRXUFHVDYDLODEOH
IRUHPSOR\HHVWRNHHSXSWRGDWHZLWKPDUNHW
GHYHORSPHQWVHJ0RUJDQ0DUNHWV-30RUJDQ¶V
SURSULHWDU\UHVHDUFKSURGXFWSODWIRUPGHGLFDWHGIRU
LQVWLWXWLRQDOLQYHVWRUVDQGRWKHUOHDUQLQJSRUWDOV
DQGEXVLQHVVQHZVOHWWHUV±DOOYHU\JRRGDQG
KHOSIXOUHVRXUFHVIRUPH´
%KDUWL%KDUJDYDZKRKROGVD0DVWHUVRI6RFLDO
6FLHQFHLQ(FRQRPLFVUHDGLO\DJUHHV6KHZDV
SRVWHGWRWKH(TXLW\5HVHDUFK'LYLVLRQLQWKH¿UP
,QDGGLWLRQWRFKDOOHQJLQJZRUN%KDUWLDOVRKDGWR
DGDSWWRWKHIXOOURXWLQHRIGDLO\DPPHHWLQJV
ZKLFKPHDQWKHUZRUNLQJGD\VVWDUWDWDPDQGDW
WLPHVGRQRWHQGWLOOODWHLQWKHHYHQLQJ

7KHSURJUDPLVE\QRPHDQVD³VXPPHUKROLGD\´
,QDGGLWLRQWRWKHLUGDLO\UHVSRQVLELOLWLHVLQWHUQV
ZHUHDVVLJQHGJURXSVWRZRUNRQFDVHVWXGLHV
ZKLFKWKH\QHHGHGWRSUHVHQWEDFNWRWKHLU
PDQDJHUVDWWKHHQGRIWKHLQWHUQVKLS
%DVHGLQ7UHDVXU\6HUYLFHV-DQLFH¶VUROH
UHYROYHVDURXQGPDQDJLQJFDVKSULYDWHO\IRU
³,GLVFXVVWKHODWHVWGHYHORSPHQWVLQWKHJOREDO
HTXLW\PDUNHWVZLWKP\FROOHDJXHV6RPHWLPHV,
FRPHEDFNWRWKHRI¿FHDIWHUGLQQHUWRZUDSXSWKH
GD\¶VZRUN´
'HVSLWHWKHLQWHQVHMREFKDOOHQJHV%KDUWLVKDUHG
³7KHLQWHUQVKLSLVZHOOVWUXFWXUHGDQG,JHWWRZRUN

´,ZRUNZLWK7\SH$FRQÀGHQWLQGLYLGXDOVZKRDUHYHU\VHOI
PRWLYDWHG:HHYHQKDYHRXUOXQFKLQWKHRIÀFHWRPRQLWRUWKH
PDUNHWµ
0%$VWXGHQW&KDUQFKDL&KHHYDNULDQJJUDL

and build may personal networks extensively with
the best people.”
And as fellow MBA student Charnchai
Cheevakrianggrai who was assigned to do his
LQWHUQVKLSRQWKHWUDGLQJÀRRUSXWVLW³,ZRUNZLWK
7\SH$FRQ¿GHQWLQGLYLGXDOVZKRDUHYHU\
VHOIPRWLYDWHG:HHYHQKDYHRXUOXQFKLQWKHRI¿FH
to monitor the market!”
,IRQHQRZJHWVWKHLPSUHVVLRQWKDW-30RUJDQLVDOO
KDUGZRUNDQGQRSOD\WKHVHLQWHUQVEHJWRGLIIHU
2QWRSRIWZRVRFLDOHYHQWVVSRQVRUHGE\WKH¿UP
– a mid-internship drinks event and the internship
JUDGXDWLRQWKHLQWHUQVDOVRJHWWRJHWKHUUHJXODUO\
RXWVLGHRIZRUN&KDUQFKDLDGGV³:HGRKDYHIXQ
together and take turns to organize social activities
like board game nights and barbeques.”
)RUVWXGHQWVLQWHUHVWHGLQDFDUHHUZLWK-30RUJDQ
.DUHQ(YHUHWW9LFH3UHVLGHQWRI$3$&*UDGXDWH
5HFUXLWPHQWDW-30RUJDQDGYLVHGWKDWWKH
DSSOLFDWLRQZLQGRZLVRSHQIURPWKH¿UVWZHHN
of August this year for full time and internship
SRVLWLRQV,QWHUHVWHGFDQGLGDWHVVKRXOGDSSO\HDUO\
as competition is stiff.
career 33
³/DVW\HDURXWRIDSSOLFDWLRQVIURP6LQJDSRUH
UHFHLYHGZHUHRIIHUHGLQWHUQVKLSSRVLWLRQVDQG
15 secured full-time graduate positions.”
:KHQDVNHGRQWKHSUR¿OHRIFDQGLGDWHVSUHIHUUHG
.DUHQH[SODLQV³2XUVHOHFWLRQFULWHULDDUHQRW
solely based on grades. We look for candidates
who are well-rounded. There are core qualities
that we look for with all candidates. These include
DJHQXLQHLQWHUHVWLQWKH¿QDQFHLQGXVWU\DQGWKH
VSHFL¿FEXVLQHVVZLWKLQWKHEDQNWKDW\RXDUH
DSSO\LQJWRFXULRVLW\DQGDFRPPLWPHQWWROHDUQLQJ
attention to detail and belief in teamwork. Many
UROHVVXFKDVWHFKQRORJ\EDQNLQJDQGVDOHV 
trading require strong analytical and numerical
skills. We also need people who have drive and are
able to perform under pressure.
³&DQGLGDWHVZKRDUHVKRUWOLVWHGZLOOEHLQYLWHGWR
WKH¿UVWURXQGRILQWHUYLHZVZKLFKW\SLFDOO\ODVWV
minutes. This interview focuses on the candidate’s
ODQJXDJHVNLOOVFDUHHULQWHUHVWVEXVLQHVVDFXPHQ
DQGJOREDORXWORRN6XEVHTXHQWLQWHUYLHZVDQG
assessment centers will evaluate the candidate’s
competencies which could include a combination of
LQWHUYLHZVWHFKQLFDOWHVWVLQGLYLGXDORUWHDPFDVH
studies and presentations.”
34 wired

ph
oto
go
od
ge
arg
uid
e.c
om
.au

Fujitsu U1010 3.5G UMPC Review

text Gurmesh Singh | gurmesh@nus.edu.sg

THE FUJITSU U1010 3.5G does indeed live up to its Browsing the Internet in our test unit with the 3.5G
name billing as an ultra-mobile personal computer. connection on M1 broadband was a breeze with the
In fact, judging by its size, you would be forgiven for accompanying software. In fact, loading times for
mistaking it as one of those portable DVD players. most websites were rather quick.

Equipped with Intel’s A110 processor, it will not
allow for any type of gaming. However, it certainly
provides enough processing power to get some
serious work done.
The party piece in the U1010 UMPC is the ability to
make use of your telco’s 3.5G network, which would
typically allow you to experience speeds of up to 3.6
Mbytes/sec. Granted, it may not be fast compared
with what a typical broadband connection may
afford you, but in Singapore’s context, connectivity
is virtually island-wide, so it more than makes up for
the relative lack of speed.
The U1010 is rather sturdy with the screen not
easily knocked out of position. With a simple swivel
of the screen, it transforms into a little tablet PC. The
passive touch panel allows for rather accurate touch
recognition as well.
Another interesting feature is the set of built-in lights
which can be used to illuminate the area above the
QWERTY keyboard, especially when used in dimly
lit areas.
The U1010 is rather well equipped for such a small
device, with a LAN/VGA adapter connector slot,

0.3 megapixel integrated camera, built-in digital
PLFURSKRQHFRPSDFWÀDVKDQG6'FDUGVORWDOODV
VWDQGDUG7KHUHLVHYHQDQDXGLRLQDVZHOODVDQ
DXGLRRXWZKLFKLVJRRGFRQVLGHULQJWKDWWKH8
RQO\KDVDVLQJOHVSHDNHUZKLFKGRHVQRWSURGXFH
WKHEHVWVRXQGTXDOLW\
7KH8GRHVQRWFRPHZLWKDWRXFKSDGZKLFK
ZRXOGRWKHUZLVHWDNHXSYDOXDEOHVSDFH,QVWHDG
LWVSRUWVDWUDFNSDGORFDWHGRQRQHHQGDQGWZR
PRXVHEXWWRQVORFDWHGRQWKHRWKHU7KHORFDWLRQ
RIWKHWUDFNSDGRQWKH8HQVXUHVWKDWXVLQJLW
GRHVWDNHVRPHJHWWLQJXVHGWR
:KLOHWKH8803&GRHVFRPHZLWKDIXOO
4:(57<NH\ERDUGZLWKVRPHNH\VEHLQJDVVLJQHG
PRUHWKDQRQHIXQFWLRQLWGRHVVHHPWKDWWKHGHVLJQ
ZDVPDGHZLWKUDWKHUVOHQGHU¿QJHUVLQPLQG
7\SLQJ\RXUHVVD\VRQWKH8ZRXOGWKXVQRW
+DUG'LVN'ULYH
wired 35
EHVRPHWKLQJWKDWZRXOGEHUHFRPPHQGHG%DWWHU\
OLIHZLWKWKHVWDQGDUGFHOOEDWWHU\LVUDWHGDVXS
WRKRXUV$EDWWHU\GUDLQWHVWZLWK:L)LWXUQHGRQ
\LHOGHGDQXSWLPHRIMXVWRYHUKRXUVZKLFKLV
UHDVRQDEOH
2YHUDOOWKH8*803&ZDVPDGHZLWKWKH
PRELOHXVHULQPLQG7KHVPDOOGLPHQVLRQVFRXSOHG
ZLWKWKHIDFWWKDWLWZHLJKVLQDWDSDOWU\JUDPV
ZRXOGPHDQWKDWLWZRXOGFHUWDLQO\QRWEHDFKRUH
FDUU\LQJLWDURXQGZKHUHYHU\RXJR
7KH8*FDQEHSXUFKDVHGZLWKWKH0
%URDGEDQGSODQ
ZLWK\HDUVLJQXSWR%URDGEDQGRU

ZLWK\HDUVLJQXSWR%URDGEDQGSODQ
LQFK3$7$8OWUD'0$USP60$57VXSSRUW

3ODWIRUP,QWHOŠ8OWUD0RELOHSODWIRUP *UDSKLFV
 ,QWHOŠSURFHVVRU$0+]  ,QWHJUDWHG,QWHOŠ*UDSKLFVZLWK'$FFHOHUDWRU
.%/FDFKH0+])6%
 ,QWHOŠ*8([SUHVV&KLSVHW
 ,QWHOŠ,&+8,2&RQWUROOHU+XE
'LVSOD\LQFK6XSHU)LQH:69*$
;SL[HOV3DVVLYH7RXFK
3DQHO
0HPRU\*%''50+]
+DUG'LVN*%
+LJK'H¿QLWLRQ+'$XGLR
5HDO7HN$/&+'DXGLRFRGHFZLWKEXLOWLQGLJLWDOPLFURSKRQH
&RPPXQLFDWLRQ
%OXHWRRWKŠY5HDO7HN/%DVH(WKHUQHW6XSHU$*Œ
ZLUHOHVVFRQQHFWLRQZLWKGXDODQWHQQDDQG,QWHJUDWHG&DPHUD
0HJD3L[HO
%DWWHU\8SWRKUVFHOO/L,RQP$K
:HLJKWNJ 8VHU,QWHUIDFH
.H\ERDUGZLWK*OLGH3RLQWNH\PPNH\SLWFKPPNH\
'LPHQVLRQV VWURNH)LQJHUSULQW6HQVRUZLWKYHUWLFDOVFUROOIXQFWLRQV
PP:[PP'[PP+
&DUG6ORW
2SWLRQDO$FFHVVRULHV [7\SH,,,&)&DUGVORW[6HFXUH'LJLWDO6'&DUG5HDGHU
3RUW5HSOLFDWRU86%[9*$H[WHUQDO
GLVSOD\5-/$13RZHU$GDSWHU'&LQ &RQQHFWRU,QWHUIDFH
([WHQGHG%DWWHU\FHOO/L,RQP$K9 86%[9*$H[WHUQDOGLVSOD\DQG5-/$1YLD/$19*$
DGDSWHUFRQQHFWRU$XGLRLQ$XGLRRXW3RZHU$GDSWHU'&LQ

*
(PEHGGHG*+6'3$::$1FRQQHFWLYLW\ZLWKGXDODQWHQQD
6XSSRUWVWULEDQG8076+6'3$DQG0+]
6XSSRUWVTXDGEDQG('*(*356*600+]

WZ
P
FR
P PO
oto
ph
36 wired

YO U R Online Community
text Amir Hussain | syedamirhussain@nus.edu.sg
Created for U, Designed for U.
Gurmesh Singh | gurmesh@nus.edu.sg

WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF THE NUS Online

Community, staff, students and alumni now have the
ability to connect, discover, extend and leverage on
their personal networks.

First mooted in 2005 with the objective of allowing

students to connect and interact with others in a
trusted online environment even after graduation,
the NUS Online Community was launched by NUS
Computer Centre and Centre for Instructional
Technology in 2007 after two years of planning and
consultations with individuals and student groups.

onal
Students are able to sign up for their personal
by Internati
Blog H
Travel QV2I¿F
websites, in which they can set up weblogs, wikis,
contact lists, online announcements as well as share 5HODWLR
¿OHVDQGSKRWRDOEXPV6WXGHQWVZLWKVLPLODUQHHGV
or interests will be able to connect and collaborate
with each other and pursue these interests.

Student clubs, societies and interest groups are

able to set up community websites to establish an
online presence, publicise events and recruit new
members, thereby gaining a much wider exposure
with the Online Community. What is great is that
students will be able to remain part of the community
even after graduation.

Another plus point is that the Online Community is

built upon trusted relationships within the community
as each member is authenticated via the NUS or
Alumni User ID. The knowledge that each and
every user is a legitimate member of the NUS
community allows for a peace of mind, especially
when one decides to engage in social, professional
and educational activities with fellow community
members or groups.
The personal and community websites are equipped
with “out-of-the-box” features and tools, ready to be
used. Even users with no prior IT knowledge will be
able to get the website up and running in virtually no
time at all.
Besides providing personal and community web-
spaces, web-hosting services are also available. The
Table Top Gaming Interest
Group
Computer Centre will work closely with interested
parties to ensure smooth set-up of required
ZHEVLWHVEORJVIRUXPVRUSRUWDOVZLWKLQ¿YHZRUNLQJ
days and will manage day-to-day maintenance of
the web server. Student groups have full ownership
and responsibility for the content development and
maintenance of their website.
Student groups will be able to focus on content and
site development while allowing IT experts at the
Computer Centre to look after technical aspects of

NUS Online
Community
Homepage
NUS Enterp
rise forum
V\VWHPPDLQWHQDQFHDQGVHFXULW\7KHZHEKRVWLQJ
VHUYLFHLVSURYLGHGIUHHRIFKDUJHDQGFRPHVZLWK
0%RIVWRUDJHVSDFH
$PLQLPDOWRNHQFRVWZLOOEHFKDUJHGLIDGGLWLRQDO
VWRUDJHVSDFHLVUHTXLUHGDWDPXFKORZHUUDWHDV
FRPSDUHGWRVLPLODUVHUYLFHVRIIHUHGE\FRPPHUFLDO
ZHEKRVWLQJVHUYLFHSURYLGHUV
Since its launch in June 2007, 13 Alumni charter
sites, 13 Alumni reunion sites, 1514 personal
wired 37
websites, 250 community sites and 15 hosted
sitesKDYHEHHQHVWDEOLVKHG7KHVHQXPEHUVDUH
FHUWDLQO\ERXQGWRJURZWUHPHQGRXVO\
$FFRUGLQJWR0U3DXO/LP$VVLVWDQW0DQDJHUDWWKH
NUS Computer Centre, bigger and better things are
LQVWRUHIRUPHPEHUVRIWKH1862QOLQH&RPPXQLW\
With the Computer Centre team constantly
FRQVXOWLQJDQGZRUNLQJZLWKYDULRXVVWXGHQW
JURXSVPRUHLGHDVDQGIHDWXUHVZLOOGH¿QLWHO\EH
LPSOHPHQWHGDORQJWKHZD\
'RQRWSDVVXSWKHFKDQFHWREHSDUWRIZKDWLVDQG
ZLOOVXUHO\FRQWLQXHWREHDQH[FLWLQJDQGYLEUDQW
SDUWRI186OLIH+HDGWRKWWSVVKDUHQXVHGXVJ
FAQS
Who can join the community?
All NUS students, staff or Alumni member are
strongly encouraged to sign-up for a
SHUVRQDOSUR¿OHDQGZHEVLWH0HPEHUVFDQ
UHJLVWHUE\¿OOLQJDFRQYHQLHQWRQOLQH
IRUP
How to register for these services?
6WXGHQWVDQGVWDIIFDQVLJQXSIRUWKHVHVHUYLFHV
WKURXJKDFRQYHQLHQWRQOLQH
IRUPDWWKHIROORZLQJZHEVLWHV
3HUVRQDOVLWHKWWSXQXVHGXVJ
&RPPXQLW\VLWHKWWSXQXVHGXVJ
:HEKRVWLQJKWWSVVKDUHQXVHGXVJFRPPXQLW\
Featured Sites:
NUS Second Life Portal
http://community.nus.edu.sg/secondlife
Kent Ridge Ministerial Forum 2008
http://community.nus.edu.sg/krmf2008
NUSSU Ask Senior
http://community.nus.edu.sg/ask senior
Overseas Education Programme
http://community.nus.edu.sg/oep
Special Thanks: Mr Paul Lim, Assistant
Manager, NUS Computer Centre
38 wired

Spotlight: NUS Library

Announcing the arrival of LINC+, NUS Libraries’ enhanced
catalogue!

July 16th saw the launch of LINC+, our new and improved library
catalogue. This one-stop interface promises to transform your
search experience with new features such as faceted navigation,
relevance ranking of search results, book reviews from Choice and
summaries of book contents. While the traditional LINC will still
be around, we hope that our users will embrace the new features
LINC+ has to offer.

Of course, the list of goodies

doesn’t end here! More en-
hancements will be introduced
in LINC+ and the library portal
in phases. These cool en-
hancements include expanded
search results from multiple
sources, coverage information
of e-resource titles, and a his-
tory of your loan record.
So come try it out for yourself
at http://www.lib.nus.edu.sg!

LINC+ Roadshow 2008

Date Time Faculty Venue To introduce our enhanced

catalogue to our users, we
Aug, 25th Mon 10 am to 4 pm FASS Central Library Walkway
will also be having a LINC+
Aug 26th Tues 10 am to 4 pm FoE Outside LT 6 roadshow in late August.
10 am to 1 pm SDE Next to Co-op at SDE 3 This roadshow will move
from faculty to faculty, and
11 am to 2 pm LAW Block B, 2nd Storey, BTC staff and students who come
Aug 27th Wed
1 pm to 4 pm SoC COM 1 Level 2 Foyer by the booth can hope to
Aug 28th Thurs 10 am to 4 pm FoS Outside LT 24/25 learn more about search-
ing effectively in the new
LINC+ as well as give us
10 am to 4 pm YLLSoM & Outside LT 24/25 your feedback! These are the
Aug 29th Fri FoD times and locations for our
roadshow - hope to see you
1 pm to 4 pm Business Outside MBA Student Lounge
there!
 wired 39

E-Resource
Day

NUS Libraries Presents E-Resource Discovery Day!

Come join us on Tuesday, 9th September, from 10am to 5pm, for a

time of fun, discovery, and excitement at our E-Resource Discovery
Day!

This event will take place at the Forum with E-Resource vendors
showcasing NUS Libraries’ databases, E-books, E-journals and giving
away lots of freebies!

Gain knowledge, be entertained, eat good food and win fantastic

prizes like iPods, iPod Nanos, MP3 players, laptop bags, book
YRXFKHUVÀDVKGULYHVRSWLFDOPLFHHWFZKHQ\RXSDUWLFLSDWHLQRXU
lucky draws and event day E-resource competition!

For those who wantWR¿QGRXWPRUHDERXWVSHFL¿FGDWDEDVHVFRPH

attend the impeccable series of seminars lined up for you!

These 30-minutes vendor presentations will touch on the scope,

coverage, and strengths of various electronic resources and attendees
will also be given tips on how to maximise the effectiveness of their
VHDUFKHV

Some of the e-resources highlighted are: Business Source

Premier, Scopus, Web of Science, Engineering Village 2, Proquest
Dissertations & Theses, SciFinder Scholar, LexisNexis Academic and
the list goes on!

All participants of the online E-resource quiz will be entered into the
lucky draws and will also stand a chance to win prizes in the event day
competition!

9LVLWKWWSZZZOLEQXVHGXVJQXVeresourcedayLQGH[KWPORXU
event website for more details!!! Hope to see you there!
40 sports

text See Jie Yi | u0702202@nus.edu.sg

IF YOU ARE A SELF-PROFESSED SPORTS
JUNKIE but you’re not aware of the
best places to sweat it out, look
no further than within our own
campus! A wide variety of sports
facilities are available, enough to
cater to mainstream sports lovers.
the ridge presents to you a brief
introduction of the best places
available on campus.
First up on our list is the NUS
Sports and Recreation Centre
(SRC) located at the heart of the
school, right beside the Yusof
Ishak Hall. Any student can
easily book a court or equipment
by presenting your matriculation
FDUGDWWKH65&*HQHUDO2I¿FH
For those itching to play outdoors,
the SRC is the place to be. Just
grab a ball, group yourselves up
in two teams, and you will be able
to maximise your fun at no cost!
Choose from a range of netball,
handball, basketball, sepak
takraw and volleyball courts to
FDWHUWRVSHFL¿FQHHGVRUVLPSO\
reserve the four multi-purpose
courts for your different needs.
To top it off, there are another 13
tennis courts with two practice
walls, all conveniently situated
side by side.
For those who want low impact
exercises, the SRC also has an
Olympic-sized Swimming Pool.
Entry to the pool is absolutely free
for all students of NUS! However,
do take note that the swimming
pool could get rather crowded on
days when various clubs conduct
their trainings (usually around
evenings). Therefore, the ridge
advises that it would be better to
check the weekly pool schedule
to avoid the over-crowding.
If indoor sports are your cup of
tea, the SRC houses badminton
and squash courts to meet your
demands. Nets, venues and
everything provided, you will only
need to bring along your racquet
for a no-fuss game with your
buddies. Or if you are up for a
game of ping pong, table tennis
tables are always readily up for
loan. the ridge reminds you that

‘ ‘
you would need to reserve these
Keep in mind that you are sharing these venues beforehand. You would be
facilities with the rest of the student able to do so simply with the click
population, therefore, remember to be RI\RXU¿QJHUV6LPSO\DFFHVVWKH
considerate when using them. SRC’s online sport facility booking
 sports 41
system at http://www.nus.edu.sg/osa/sports/fac/ KRGH provides an experience that closely resembles
facbookings.htm and the venue is all yours. country clubs and club houses but at a more
affordable price and conveniently found on campus.
Not to forget, the gym is found at the SRC,
Sports facilities wise, the ridge would recommend
second level in MPSH3. Although there is no
it as a place suitable for those who would prefer a
FKDUJH\RXZLOOQHHGWRÀDVK\RXUPDWULFXODWLRQ
more exclusive and private exercising experience.
card in order to enter the room. Remember to
bring along your own towel for hygiene purposes. There are also more services provided at the Guild
House which includes private
training sessions with instructors
in the gym. However, KRGH is
currently undergoing refurnishing
and redevelopment plans. As
such, only the squash courts and
¿WQHVVFHQWUHDUHRSHQIRUXVH
The rest of the sports facilities will
only be up at the end of the year.
The Guild House is open daily,
even during public holidays.
For those who are planning
to live on campus, there are
other alternative choices for
you. All hostels and residences
are equipped with their own
As a whole, the place is well-stocked with a
gymnasiums and other sports facilities, differing from
complete range of gym equipment to work most of
place to place. Most of these facilities are free for
your body muscles. But do take note that the gym
all residents of the place, but we would highly advise
has been known to get rather cramped due to its
you to check out the cost individually.
high usage during the school term, so try to head
over in the earlier half of the day.
Despite its run down façade, the SRC’s facilities
and equipments are generally in good conditions
after its major overhaul in 2006. Keep in mind
that you are sharing these facilities with the rest of
the student population, therefore, remember to be
considerate when using them.
Alternatively, you can consider going to the Kent
Ridge Guild House (KRGH) found right behind the
Arts Canteen. Although the Guild House is under
the NUSS Graduate Club, NUS undergraduates
are also entitled to use its sports facilities. Pay
a mere $67 for 6 months (equivalent to $11.20
per month) to sign up for its membership. Enjoy
a spectrum of sports facilities over at there that
are generally in better conditions as compared to
those available to the general student population.
Other than tennis and squash courts, there is a
swimming pool, billiard tables and gym provided
in the clubhouse. Non-members are allowed to
utilise the sports facilities, but at a much steeper
price.
42 sports
TeamNUS
looks
ahead
text Lee Wenting | u0600180@nus.edu.sg
TEAMNUS SPORTING fervour is set to hit greater
heights with a whopping calendar lined up for
the varsity’s student athletes. The Sports and
Recreational Centre (SRC) is committed to the
provision of over 60 competitive and recreational
sports activities for the NUS community, organising
a series of events and competitions, ranging from
the ITE-Varsity-Polytechnic (IVP) Games, Singapore
Universities Games (SUniG), Institutional Invitations
to Inter-Faculty Games (IFG) and other mass
participatory events.
Riding on the fresh wave of enthusiasm after the
Orientation week, staff and undergraduates can look
forward to the IFG sports carnival in the month of
6HSWHPEHU65&¶V6HQLRU6SRUWV2I¿FHU5DKD\X
Binte Mohd Din said that the annual Games with the
ten faculties pitting their battle of wits and strength
µZLOOXQGHUJRDQRYHUKDXOE\LQFUHDVLQJSUR¿OHDQG
publicity, so as to promote campus vibrancy and
VSLULW¶$VIRUD¿UVWLQKLVWRU\WKHµ6KLK&KRRQ)RQJ
Challenge Trophy’ named after the NUS President
shall be awarded to the overall winning faculty at the
closing ceremony on 4 October 2008.
Not to be outdone by The Nike Human Race,
NUS will host a marathon run unique on its own.
Organised by the NUS Students’ Sports Club on 17
August, RUN NUS 2008 offers various categories
to participate from, the Competitive Individual
(10km), Mass Run (5km), and Team Relay (2km).
Participants running within and around the campus
will also pass along the Kent Ridge Heritage Trail
where battle memories stretch back as far as 1942.
Visiting nostalgia aside, the competitive categories
will also crown the hall and faculty winners from the
Championship system.
Stepping onto a higher plane, the Sports Excellence
Programme (SPEX) encourages tertiary athletes
to pursue the pinnacles of sport through local
competitions like the IVP, SUniG, National League
Tournaments, to name but few. With pride and
prestige at stake, these local competitions pit our
varsity teams against other institutes of higher
OHDUQLQJLQD¿JKWIRUVXSUHPDF\DOEHLWLQDQ
atmosphere of goodwill and friendship.

Held in the month of September, the 2008 SUniG
offers twelve sports for competition. The winning
university is decided from the overall Gold-Silver-
Bronze tally. Garnering a grand total of eight
gold, four silvers and seven bronzes, NUS will be
¿JKWLQJWRVXUSDVVODVW\HDU¶VUHVXOWVDQGGHIHQG
her championship status.
0DQ\WDOHVRIRXUDWKOHWHV¶FRXUDJHDQGWHQDFLW\
in the IVP Games have long wound into campus
folklore. The IVP Games are largely held in
January, the second half of the academic year,
except for Swimming and Track & Field, which will
be held late this semester. NUS defends a proud
heritage in the annual participation of the games,
and handsome efforts have not gone unnoticed.
Top student athletes and teams nominated by their
SHHUVDQGRI¿FHUVDUHFRPPHQGHGLQWKHDQQXDO
teamNUS sports awards, a gala night where
athletes congregate to celebrate a year of toil for
the teamNUS community.
sports 43
Whilst spirits are high, two areas that SRC
DUHZRUNLQJDWDUHWKHSUR¿OLQJRIDWKOHWHV
DQGVSHFWDWRUVKLS/HDGLQJVSRUWV¿JXUHVDUH
highlighted to help raise awareness about the
sport they represent, as triathlete Mok Ying Ren
and Liang Youyun from Taekwondo are raised
to become household names amongst the NUS
community. Where sport is more than just the
playing, the SRC are also looking at ways to boost
FURZGVXSSRUWLQWKHµOLYH¶JDPHVFRYHUDJH
Get set for a red-hot sporting calendar
AY2008/2009. Whether you are a spectator,
athlete, event organizer, journalist or volunteer,
there awaits opportunities and choices for you to
take and seize. Even then, TeamNUS will not be
just a prestigious brand name on its own, but an
invaluable experience, for every sportsperson to
carry down the years with pride.
02 desk
desk 03
&OHDUYLVLRQ)$303DJH
& 0 < &0 0< &< &0< .

&RPSRVLWH