Student - Institute of Technical Education

nov 2007
4
Student
Seminar 2007
Community Fiesta
CPF MoneySense

contents
An interview with the Director of AHS
Community Fiesta
Happy 42nd Birthday, Singapore!
2007 ITE-VTC Student Seminar
Decorate your lanyard!
Overcoming the odds
Have you met the handbikers?
CE’s NYAA Golds
News from Lifeskills
CCA News
Makan@CE
Heart-to-Heart
Calendar of Events
editorial board
Advisor
Chairman
Chief Editor
Tan Seng Hua
Principal
Chong Leong Fatt
Director/Student &
Academic Services
Soh Sze-Wei
Course Manager/Lifeskills
03
04
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06
08
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12
16
18
19
20
editorial team
Editor
Sub-editor
Assistant editors
Design & Layout
Printer
Cindy Chen
Calvin Cheng
Felicia Lim
Catherine Ng-Foong
Hazel Tay
Tiny Mustard Seed
[creative design consultant]
Grace Tan
Hock Cheong Printing Pte Ltd
MESSAGE
principal’s
Dear students,
By now, you should be familiar with the phrase “It’s My Choice”. All of
you made a very wise choice when you decided to join ITE College East.
During your time here with us, you will acquire a strong foundation in
technical expertise and lifeskills, which will ensure that you are wellprepared
for the next important phase of your lives when you enter
the workforce, or progress further in your higher education.
Essentially, the training provided by ITE College East aims to nurture
you to be a Value Creator. With the knowledge and skills you have
acquired, you will be able to grow professionally and Create Value
for yourself so that you can further develop in your career. More
importantly however, you will also be able to tap on your knowledge
and skills to Create Value to the Industry, and to the Society at large. In
the forthcoming months, you will see and hear frequently of this new
message and logo of Value 3 (i.e. Creating Value for Self, Industry and
Society) on the College publicity materials.
I must also add that after you graduate from ITE, it is important that
you pursue lifelong learning to ensure that your skills remain relevant
to the industry. You will also need to adopt an enterprising and
innovative mindset so as to be ready for the challenges presented in
the global business environment.
I am confident that each and every one of you
will be able to carve out your own niche in
society and succeed in life. I would also like to
take this opportunity to wish all of you a fulfilling
learning journey here at ITE College East.
Editor’snote
How time flies! It’s almost the end of the year, and it’s time to set
ourselves new goals for a new beginning. Have you enjoyed your
journey in CE this year? Or have you found it to be a challenging
ride?
It’s inevitable to come across challenges and obstacles during our
search for success, and some of you have really held yourselves well
when things got tough. In this issue, we want to inspire you with
the story of Kaleswari, a student from the School of Engineering,
on how she overcame the adversities in her life with optimism and
determination.
Equally remarkable is the tale of the 300 ITE students who
participated in the 2007 ITE-VTC Student Seminar held in Hong
Kong earlier in July. Hailing from the three different Colleges,
they persisted with months of rigorous training before they were
eventually selected to represent ITE at the biennial seminar.
I hope their experiences can inspire you to be positive and resilient
whenever you come face to face with stumbling blocks in life.
Remember, choice, not circumstance, determines your success.
Cindy Chen
Editor
ce360degrees@gmail.com
Tan Seng Hua
Principal
ITE College East

Feature
An Inter view
with the
Director of AHS
by Marisa Anthea and
Qarihah Othman /Journaling Club
Dr Ang Kiam Wee, Director of the School of Applied Health Sciences
is a witty man who places great emphasis on his students’ needs. He
shares his interesting experiences with CE:360˚in this issue.
CE:360˚: Dr Ang, tell us more about your role
as the School’s director.
My role is very diverse. It includes developing
and managing the existing courses, coming up
with new courses, working with the industry
to identify their expectations of our graduates
and ensuring our curriculum stays relevant to
industry needs. I have to make sure that my
graduates are able to get jobs in the industry.
How long have you been working in ITE?
I’ve been working in ITE for three years now.
Before this I worked as a defence researcher
for 13 years.
So, what inspired the change?
Well, I enjoyed the cutting-edge work I did
as a defence researcher. However, as I dealt
with highly classified information, I could
only work and communicate with a limited
number of people. In my current position, I get
to interact with a wide range of people - it’s
something I really enjoy. It’s also great as I can
actually see the results of what I’ve planned or
developed.
Is it something you have always wanted to
do?
Funnily enough, I went through university on
a Public Service Commission (PSC) teaching
scholarship with the intention of becoming a
science teacher. But when I graduated, I was
roped into defence research. It feels great to
come back now as an educator, where I can
witness the impact of my contributions to the
society through education.
What is the most challenging task you’ve
encountered?
In my job, communication is extremely
important. It allows you to make good
decisions. So, I dedicate time to interact with
my colleagues, the public, parents, students
and representatives from the industry to learn
about their needs. It was tough at first as I had
quite a diverse group of target audience, but
I’ve picked up a number of skills along the way.
What are the things you like about ITE?
ITE is dynamic and ever changing. It’s
important for us to be able to adapt to the
changes, otherwise we wouldn’t be able to
produce a relevant workforce for our country.
Where do you go to within the campus when
you need a breather from work?
I head to the staff lounge with my colleagues.
There is a karaoke room in there. Sometimes I
use the gym there too.
What type of music you listen to?
Whatever my son has in his MP3 (chuckles).
Apart from heavy metal which I’ve yet to
develop an appreciation for, I enjoy most
music genres. I especially like Chinese songs
and hits from the 80’s.
Lastly, do you have any words of encouragement
for our students?
ITE treasures every student and we believe
in every single one of you. But first you must
believe in yourself in order to succeed. It
doesn’t matter what others think of you,
it’s what you can do for yourself that’s more
important. ITE provides the best facilities and
teachers so that together, we can create a
better future.

Communit y
Fiesta@
ITE College East
In conjunction with our Nation’s 42nd birthday, ITE College East organised a
Community Fiesta@ITE College East on 3 and 4 August.
During the two days, the College opened its doors to the community to enable
members of the public to better understand the learning environment in ITE’s first
regional campus.
This carnival-styled event aimed to engage the community living in the East,
particularly residents from the South East CDC and North East CDC districts as well as
secondary school students.
Some 3,500 visitors participated in the event over the two days, including grassroot
leaders, MPs and Mayors from various GRCs and CDCs in the East.
Visitors got to participate in a slew of interesting activities such as free talks, short courses,
health screenings, student performances, a project showcase and robotics challenge.
There were also plenty of food, games and bazaar stalls to keep everyone engaged.
Said Principal of ITE College East, Mr Tan Seng Hua: “The Fiesta provided an excellent
opportunity for the community to know more about the exciting programmes offered by
ITE for both young school leavers and adult learners.”

Happy 42nd
Bi r t h d a y,
Singapore!
by Marisa Anthea / Journaling Club
On the morning of 8 August, the air in College East was
filled with excitement as students were ushered to the sports
stadium. There, they were addressed by the Guest-of-Honour,
Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo, MP for East Coast GRC and our
principal, Mr Tan Seng Hua.
The National Day celebrations began with five students
marching onto the track with three flags. Students stood up to
sing the National Anthem as the flags were raised and recited the
pledge with pride. Each class then proceeded to different venues
to take part in a variety of celebratory activities.
Some stayed at the stadium to watch a soccer match between
students and teachers while others went to the amphitheatre
and auditorium to enjoy interesting performances put up by the
Singapore Nurses Association, Music, Dance and Drama Club and
the Wushu Club.
Everyone waved their mini Singapore flags enthusiastically as they
joined in the celebrations and the entire campus came alive with a
fierce sense of pride and patriotism.

2007 ITE-VTC Student Seminar
Hong Kong !
In July, 300 students from the three ITE Colleges travelled
to Hong Kong for the 2007 ITE-VTC (Vocational Training
Council) Student Seminar. Siti Fatimah Bte Musa from AHS,
one of the participants, journals her experience from Day One.
7 March 2007
I’ve just been to my first Student Seminar briefing where I met my other group
members who are all from different courses. I still can’t believe that I have
been chosen to represent my class. I heard the biennial Student Seminar only
involves the best students. Will I be up to the challenge? I believe this would
be a great opportunity to boost my confidence, make new friends and learn
new skills!
10 May 2007
We got the results of our presentation. Unfortunately,
we didn’t make the cut but the
judges were full of praise for
the work we produced.
16 April 2007
We met up with our facilitator, Miss Cindy Chen, over the holidays to
work on our project. The theme for this year’s Student Seminar is “Global
City, Inclusive Society”. My group’s project is about how Singapore lends
a helping hand to its regional neighbours. We’ve put in lots of effort to
decide what we want to include in the 10-minute presentation. But there
doesn’t seem to be enough time!
5 May 2007
As the date of the presentation draws closer, we have been practising
harder. I have been meeting my group members nearly every day to
perfect our work and make sure we impress the judges. I think our
PowerPoint presentation is great, but let’s hope the judges think so too.
To be honest, I really hope we all make it so we get to go to Hong Kong!
12 May 2007
At the pre-seminar workshop held at the Main
Lecture Theatre today, we got to meet the
200 other students from College Central and
College West who are also part of the 2007
ITE-VTC Student Seminar. I really enjoyed the
presentations by my counterparts. Some of
them danced with beautiful costumes while
others used their fingers to create images on
fine sand. It was a real eye-opener for me.

18 May 2007
I am going to Hong Kong! My facilitator confirmed that all of us in the
group would be representing College East at the 2007 ITE-VTC Student
Seminar. I’m very excited as I have never been on a plane before.
4 July 2007
Finally, after a number of pre-departure briefings and reminders on what
was expected of us, we jetted off to Hong Kong. It suddenly dawned on
me that we will really need to work hard to achieve the goals we have set
for ourselves. When we touched down in Chep Lak Kok Airport, we were
brought to our hostel at Hong Kong Baptist University and given some time
to relax and unpack. There were two of us to a room, which was quite cosy
and comfortable. I wonder what the next day will bring!
6 July
2007
Today, the ITE
and VTC students
took turns to deliver thier well polished
presentations. The students also put up fantastic
performances which provided great entertainment.
What a great way to end the seminar!
We had lunch on
an International
Friendship Cruise
where we got to
enjoy plenty of
good food and
entertainment.
The view from
the cruise of the
skyscrapers was
simply incredible! We
continued to party well
into the night at the Farewell Dinner and Dance
held in the school hall. We had so much fun with
the Hong Kong students that we didn’t want the
party to end.
5 July 2007
I was too excited and could
not go to sleep last night.
This morning, we woke up
early to attend the opening
ceremony of the Student
Seminar, which was held at
the Institute of Vocational
Education (Tsing Yi). There
were Panel Discussions and
Question-and-Answer
sessions which gave quite
an interesting insight on
the seminar theme. We
went on to visit the multilevel
marketing company,
Amway, to better
understand their business
operations. After dinner, we
spent a few hours shopping
along Tsim Sha Tsui where
we picked up souvenirs for
our families.
7 July 2007
We spent our last day sightseeing in Hong Kong.
With our tour guide, we explored Stanley Market,
the Victoria Peak, Repulse Bay and the entrance of
the Hong Kong Disneyland. Hong Kong is such a
beautiful city with so much to see and do. I really
had a fabulous time, but nothing means more to
me than to be able to see my loved ones again in
Singapore, my home sweet home.

Decorate your lanyard
and WEAR it!
by Jasmine Wong Jia Min / AHS
The Lanyard Awareness Campaign organised by the Student
Council was held from 24 to 25 April. The main objective of this
campaign was to encourage all students to wear their lanyards
while on campus. The campaign also aimed to motivate
students to decorate their lanyards and view wearing lanyards
as cool and fun.
The campaign managed to attract many students to join in and
watch the performances. The dance and song items were really
good and helped to draw in the crowd. Student councillors
also went round the campus giving out sweets to students
who were seen wearing their lanyards.
Everyone enjoyed the event which was held during lunch
hours over two days. After the event, more students have
taken to wearing their lanyards while they are in school. Some
students also took the initiative to decorate their lanyards with
iron-on patterns, pins and badges.
Although the planning and preparation had taken the Student Council
Project Committee almost a whole month, the success of the campaign has
made the effort put in well worth it.
Hopefully, this trend will rub off all the other students and everyone will be
wearing their uniquely designed lanyards at all times!

Overcome the odds
with
OPTIMISM
Your family’s disadvantaged – your father’s health
is poor, your mother’s the sole breadwinner, your
brother and you are still in school. You are in a course
that was not your first choice.
Does this sound familiar to you? Some of us may
have had similar experiences but Venkatachanlam
Kaleswari’s journey demonstrates what a difference it
makes when we embrace a positive attitude during
the difficult times in our lives.
Kaleswari is one of the few girls who are in the
Electrical Technology course. When she first got into
the course, she was not too happy. “I regretted taking
the course, so I was upset, disappointed and felt
hopeless,” Kaleswari said.
So what turned her around and inspired her to do well enough to secure the ITE,
Sri Krishnan and Loyang Tua Pek Kong Temple scholarships?
The change came about with the encouragement of her class advisor, Mr John Lim
and the support from the Course Manager, Section Heads and Lecturers. Motivated
by their unwavering belief in her abilities, Kaleswari took their advice to heart.
“They impressed upon me that there is nothing to lose but everything to gain.”
Indeed, Kaleswari’s optimism is the key to her success. Instead of viewing criticisms
as her personal failings, she tries to see them as areas for improvement. “I began to
accept my class advisor’s every critical remark as I knew that whatever he said, he
meant well for me.”
This gave her the push she needed to do better. She began to believe that there is
a future in this course, which eventually opened up more opportunities for her. She
also became actively involved in CCAs. Kaleswari is the only Indian female in the
Lion Dance Troupe and rose up the ranks to become secretary.
On top of this, Kaleswari soon developed an interest in helping the community. Her
participation in the 15-day community service project in Laos further transformed
and uplifted her – “I came back spiritually recharged and learned not to take life for
granted as a young Singaporean,” said Kaleswari.
Even when options in life seemed limited, Kaleswari remained determined to
overcome obstacles and make the best out of everything. Hoping to be an
inspiration to other students who have doubts about their lives, she said, “If you
have the confidence in yourself, no one can stop you from succeeding.”

Have you met . . .
the handbikers?
10
Stanley’s Story
Meet Stanley Lim, 30, a handsome, well-mannered and soft-spoken
young man. He’s no different from other young people his age, except
that Stanley is paralysed from the chest down.
Throughout the interview, he remained cheerful and showed little of
the bitterness you would expect from the victim of a horrific motorbike
accident.
The accident which happened nearly two years ago left him 90%
paralysed and nearly killed him. He doesn’t recall much about it except
that when he woke up, his doctor told him that he would never walk
again.
His mind went blank. “The sadness and the anger only came later” , when
he realised that he needed help for everything, from feeding himself to
using the toilet.
Since then, every day has been a challenge. He tries not to look at the
painful past but to always “think forward”. It helps that he has a very
supportive family, and a girlfriend who has stayed with him throughout
his ordeal.
Meeting Fung
While in hospital, Stanley met Fung, or Foo Fung Liang, 38, who is
paralysed from stomach down. They were introduced to each other by
Raja, a member of the Spinal Cord Injury Support Group (SCISG), a selfhelp
group that offers support to patients who suffer from paralysis as a
result of spinal cord injury.
Fung has an equally dramatic tale to tell. The design consultant based
in the US was helping a friend set up a restaurant when armed robbers
barged in and fired nine shots.
Seven of them hit Fung. Three of these were lodged in his spine while
the others hit him in the shoulder, chest and left arm. Since his accident,
Fung has relocated back to Singapore and now runs his own product
and graphic design consultancy firm.
For both Fung and Stanley, the road to recovery has been long and painful,
but they have since found a sport to keep them active and upbeat.
On College East
Fung recently set up the Handbikers’ Association, targeted mainly at
SCISG members. Many spinal cord injury patients discovered that
handbiking really aids them on their road to recovery. Fung said that
handbiking and swimming can help people with disabilities grow
stronger and regain their self-confidence.
Stanley agrees. With the use of only his shoulder muscles, his biceps and
his forearms, he has “handbiked” his way to better health and stamina. He
can now push for longer distances than when he first started out. He says
that handbiking has helped him build muscles instead of letting them
degenerate.
Since five months ago, the handbikers have been training on the running
tracks in CE on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. When they first started
out, they were using the tracks in a polytechnic, but they soon had to
relocate to Yio Chu Kang stadium because the school could no longer
accommodate their training.
However, they faced other problems at Yio Chu Kang stadium, such as
having to hire movers to transport their handbikes from their storage
facilities to the training ground.
Finally, their problem was resolved when Mr Raymond Ong, the Course
Manager for Physical Education at College East, agreed to let them use
CE’s running tracks for their training. He also offered them free usage of
the gym, as well as storage facilities for them to keep their handbikes.
The handbikers are grateful to CE for its generous offer and to our
students for showing care and concern. In particular, Stanley highlighted a
Sports Management student, whom he knows only as Devi, who assisted
them whenever they needed help.
Asked if he had any words of wisdom for our students, Fung had this
to say: “Sometimes, your mind is your only disability – you have to rely
on yourself, [constantly] motivate yourself. If you want something bad
enough, you will achieve it.”
After a pensive pause, he adds, “Anyone, whether able-bodied or disabled,
can draw inspiration from us – if we haven’t given up yet, then why should
anyone give up their dreams?”

This year, a total of 10 CE students – Woo Wee Loon, Ham Hui Guo, Michael
Yeo Zong Ping, Oh Aik Hong, Goh Yao Xing, Roger Chan Wei Xiong, Chang
Chee Meng, John Oh Jin Hao, Chen Ting Ling and Muhammad Faizan bin
Fandi – proudly received the National Youth Achievement Award (NYAA)
Gold from President S. R. Nathan on 4 October.
To achieve this award, they had to fulfill the minimum required hours
for each of the following categories: Service, Adventurous Journey, Skills,
Physical Recreation and Residential Project.
Here are the success stories of two award winners:
Roger Chan had to sacrifice his weekends to do his strenuous cardio
and endurance exercises to prepare for his trek up Mount Kinabalu.
The expedition was not just a test of physical strength, but one that
also helped to contribute to the community as one of the objectives
of the expedition was to install a weather monitoring machine at the
peak of Mount Kinabalu. Indeed, this experience has inspired Roger
and he hopes to scale Mount Everest eventually. The expedition
has also helped Roger realise the value of teamwork and he really
appreciates his friends who gave him “a slight push” when he felt
exhausted by the project.
College East
Muhammad Faizan bin Fandi undertook a challenging project
where he had to service air-conditioners to raise funds for an
orphanage. Faizan had to overcome challenges like carrying out cold
calls at HDB flats to solicit for business. However, in the process, he has
learnt valuable lessons in being creative and independent, as well as
teamwork and leadership. If given more time for the project, Faizan
hopes to service the air conditioning facilities at shopping centres,
so as to raise more funds for charity. He encourages his fellow ITE
schoolmates to join the NYAA programme as it is a great opportunity
for students to explore their hidden potential to perform at a higher level.
So, if you would like to volunteer your skills and time, push the limits
of your physical and mental abilities, and contribute meaningfully to
the community you live in, participate in the NYAA programme!
To find out more, check out the website: www.nyaa.org
Grabs 10 NYAA
Gold Awards
11

12
Ar ts Festival
comes to
CE
ITE College East was proud to present its first ever Arts Festival
from the 22 to 24 May. Spearheaded by the SGEM (Speak Good
English Movement) and PESA (Plain English Speaking Award)
committees from Lifeskills@CE, Stage@CE opened to much fanfare
and anticipation, amidst a vibrant carnival atmosphere.
There were rhythmic drums, talented buskers, clowns, and even
free balloons and cotton candy! The high-profile three-day event,
held mainly at CE’s amphitheatre, certainly caught the fascination
and imagination of the students.
The mega event saw the coming together of highly regarded local
theatre troops putting up performances and conducting drama
workshops. Among them were the Singapore Broadway Playhouse,
D’Rama, Asian Storytelling Network, and Wildrice Productions.
The entertaining performances were all extremely well-received
by students, as were the workshops, many of which were over -
subscribed.
In a nutshell, College East’s first arts fest was a raging success and
now it looks set to become a biennial event!

Sail away to better
A Creative Zen Stone Plus, an Apple iPod, an
Xbox 360, and a Sony Playstation. These were just
some attractive prizes won by lucky students from
the three Colleges who competed in the online
game My CPF Voyage of Life (VOL).
In the two weeks in October that it was open to
ITE students, the website attracted more than
23,000 hits. The finals of VOL were held in College
East on 1 November with the top 80 players from
each College vying for the championship title.
The eventual winner, Ng Chee Chow, received
his prize – an ACER notebook - from the event’s
Guest-of-Honour, RADM(NS) Lui Tuck Yew,
Minister of State for Education. Through playing
the game, Chee Chow from CE said he has “learnt
how important saving is” and “acquired basic
financial management skills”.
MoneySENSE
Students also enjoyed participating in the fun carnival held at CE’s amphitheatre which
included game booths that taught financial concepts in an engaging way.
The online game was first launched in 2006 by the Central Provident Fund and Monetary
Authority of Singapore. It aims to increase the financial literacy among those in the 18-
24 age group through a fun and interactive approach.
Maths Trail, now in its third year, kicked off on
2 August with the qualifying rounds. It attracted
some 38 teams, involving 152 students from all
four Schools. From these, the top 10 teams made
it to the finals on 15 August.
Its organisers, the Maths Team from Lifeskills@CE,
hopes that the annual event will allow students
to take the learning of mathematics and its
applications out of the classroom into their daily
lives.
Hence, Maths Trail 2007 took its participants all
over the campus as they attempted to overcome
one mathematical challenge after another. From
having to estimate the volume of water in the
swimming pool to calculating the speed of the
escalators in front of Café 2, the participants had
to figure their way out to the coveted top cash
prize of $400.
Maths Trail
13
2 0 0 7
It was a keenly contested affair, with several
teams striving neck and neck at various points
in the competition. Eventually, the team that
pulled away and won Maths Trail 2007 was the
team from UL0704C from the School of Business,
comprising Syazwani Ahmad, Md Elfidz Sani, Md
Fahmy Mahamad, and Nurhidayah Samsuri.

Asia-Pacific Breweries
Welcomes
by Marisa Anthea / AHS
SCHOOL OF AHS
The first-year students on the Biochemical Technology course
and some of their lecturers visited the Asia-Pacific Breweries
(APB) Limited located at Tuas on 25 July.
APB is one of the key players in the beer-brewing industry. The
homegrown company launched the successful local brand
Tiger Beer in 1932. Today, Tiger Beer is widely available in Asia
and in many European cities.
The reason for the departmental field trip was for students
to learn about the beer-brewing process and for them to
gain a better understanding of the topics touched on in class.
Students found it a lot more interesting to learn about the
fermentation process during the visit as they could experience
the pungent smells and humid surroundings in the factory.
The students also got to see the four main ingredients used
in beer-brewing: malt, hops, water and yeast. In addition, they
learnt that some beers must be stored horizontally to bring
out the best flavours.
Though the brewery did not allow photography on its
premises, this did not dampen the students’ spirits for it was
a fun and educational trip. The visit concluded in an exclusive
S t u d e n t s
lounge where the students enjoyed peanuts and soft drinks as
they reflected on the insights they had gained on the science
of brewing beer.
14
ITE Entrepreneurs
Win Business Challenge
SCHOOL OF BIZ
On 27 July, a group of eight students from CE’s Entrepreneur
Club beat over 40 teams from different institutions,
including the National University of Singapore, to emerge
as the champion of the “Enterprise Day Challenge” national
competition.
The competition was open to students from tertiary and nontertiary
institutions. Students were required to form teams
to start an online business using eBay as the platform. The
participating teams were assessed based on their business
plans and actual sales performance.
The online business set up by CE’s students was a social
enterprise working in partnership with Metta Charity Group.
Led by staff advisors Mr Daniel Quek and Mr Liew Jai Shing,
the group successfully sold $590 worth of handicraft items
made by children from The Metta School.
Mr Lee Yi Shyan, Minister of State for Trade and Industry,
presented the award to the team from CE and commended
them for their effort.

An electrifying time in
Surabaya
While many students were enjoying their term break, Poh Zhi Wei
and I travelled to Surabaya in Indonesia from 24 September to 6
October for our overseas attachment programme.
by Rhoma Irama Bin Abdul Ghani / ENG
Our teachers at the Electrical Engineering department secured
a great industrial internship opportunity with PT Karunia Prima
Engineering through Omron Electronics (SEA) Pte Ltd in Singapore.
After going through a round of stringent selection by a panel chaired
by Mr Kong Chee Seng, Director of the School of Engineering, we
were chosen to represent the department.
While in Surabaya, we observed how programmes we had learnt in
school, such as Programmable Logic Controller and Vision System,
were put to use in a real work environment. We also visited many
factories to experience and witness different technologies in use.
On top of this, we worked long hours under industrial conditions
and a team of helpful staff who imparted valuable knowledge to us.
The director of the company said he looked forward to hosting the
next batch of interns. I cherish this memorable experience and am
grateful to my teachers for giving me this opportunity to learn.
SCHOOL OF ENG
Jiving
to New Heights
15
Students from the School of Infocomm Technology have
done the College proud by clinching three awards at the
recently concluded JavaJive Challenge 2007.
With their great design ideas, the CE teams Edutree
Systems and Trailblazers bagged the Innovation Awards
while Anomalous took home the Participation Age award
in this national competition jointly organised by ITE, its
industry partner Sun Microsystems, and the Infocomm
Development Authority of Singapore (IDA).
The challenge was open to all students from local tertiary
institutions. Its aim was to give students the opportunity to develop
and showcase their creative applications using the Java programming
language.
The teams from CE took part in both categories of the competition:
the Web 2.0 Application Challenge and the Mobile Application
Challenge. The Web 2.0 Challenge required students to develop a
web application while the Mobile Application Challenge assessed
their ability to develop Java applications on devices such as PDAs
and handphones.
SCHOOL OF ICT
by Lin Da Gui Anthony / ICT

CCA
news
Aquarama is one of Asia’s biggest international exhibitions for ornamental
fish. Held annually, this year’s event drew participants from Israel, India, and
the Philippines.
Aquarama kicked off on 22 May at the Suntec Convention Hall, and CE’s
very own Aquaculture Club took part in the coral landscaping and trio
class guppies’ competitions. The corals we used included the bubble coral,
elegant coral, finger coral and leather coral. The species of guppies featured
in our tank were the German Yellow Tuxedo, Platinium Double Sword and
Albino Red.
2007
Making waves at
by Ho Jinyi / Aquaculture Club
Committee Member
Aquarama
16
To the non-enthusiast, these names do not mean much. But to the members
of our club, they represent a winning formula for tank display. With over 1,000
tanks on site, we had to work really hard to impress the judges. During the
week-long competition, we encountered many challenges, but these only
made us even more determined to excel.
It was a once in a lifetime experience that presented us with many learning
opportunities. It also brought the members of the club and our teachermentor,
Mr Oliver Chang, closer together as a team.
A new CCA ?
by Priyakumari DO Neermaran /
Journaling Club
Count me in leh!
If you are a foreign student in CE and are feeling a little
out of place, don’t worry! A new CCA Club named as
“Count Me In Leh!” was recently launched in June to
help foreign students adapt to life in Singapore.
Club members will get to enjoy cultural excursions,
learn about different cultural practices and even pick
up local languages. The Club also aims to provide
interesting team-building and self-improvement
workshops.
Liu Min Qiu, a Biochemical Technology student from
China was seen enjoying herself at the Club’s launch.
“I got to try out many delicious local dishes, and learn
their names,” she said.
The College attracts a significant number of foreign
students who come from countries such as Malaysia,
Vietnam, China, Indonesia and Myanmar. It is hoped
that the local and foreign students can bond through
activities organised by the Club and learn to appreciate
each other’s cultures.

CCAnews
c
Students from the Automation and Robotics Club experienced an incredibly busy yet
fulfilling time during the last academic term.
The Club organised an Inter-School Pre-Olympiad Robotics Challenge for 120 secondary
school students on 3 August, in conjunction with the Community Fiesta. More than 50
club members were activated to organise, co-ordinate and run the event. It was a great
learning opportunity to build leadership and teamwork.
Robot Rules !
by Koh Shuenn Bin / ENG
Just a month later on
6 September, 15 of our club
members formed three
teams to compete in the
National Junior Robotics
Competition organised by
the Singapore Science
Centre. Based on the theme
of “Climate Change”, the
teams had to complete
several tasks. Eventually one
of our teams, Blaze Ricon,
came in third for the Best
Programme in the Tertiary
category.
The next day, on 7 September, another
group of 40 club members competed
in the Pre-Season Robo Grand Prix 2007
organised by Temasek Polytechnic. The
challenge was to build the fastest robot
racer to complete the given racing track.
Our teams won the third prize and a Merit
award. The experience of competing has
motivated club members to work toward
more honours at the Singapore Robo
Grand Prix, to be held in March next year.
17
PHOTOGRAPHY Club
First Exhibition Wows All
The Photography Club held their first
ever exhibition at CE’s Arts Studio on
25 April. Featuring mainly the works
of avid student photographers Rinaldi
Widyanto and Yvonne Yap Yi Ling, the
exhibition impressed many students
who initially did not believe the
stunning shots were the works of our
very own CE students.
by Siti Fatimah Bte Musa /
Journaling Club
Equally impressed was our Director
of Student and Academic Services,
Mr Chong Leong Fatt, who was
present to officiate the opening of
the exhibition. He marvelled at the spectacular photographs of architecture and nature
themes and complimented the two photographers on their skills. He also lauded their
CCA teachers, Ms Vivien Wu Xi and Mr Crisencio Tenebroso for their guidance and
dedication to the students.
The Photography Club went on to exhibit over 59 photos of different themes taken by
seven students at the Tampines Regional Library from 4 to 13 May. The encouraging
response and comments have inspired the students to continue with their good work.

Makan
@
CE
Breeze through your
18
breaks at
When you experience hunger pangs,
do you find it too far to walk to Café 2, or
do you dread the long queues at Café 1?
Unknown to some students, there is a
small open-air café located on the third
level of the Technology block which offers
yummy food, snacks and drinks in a laidback
environment.
Its central location is convenient for those
whose classrooms are on the higher levels
of the Technology or Business blocks. You
can choose to either pop by for a quick
bite on the go, or sit on the comfortable
benches to enjoy your food.
The range of food and drinks available
here includes fried noodles, fried
rice, fish cake, an assortment of
bread items, canned drinks
and iced Milo. The breezy
seating area offers a quiet
and relaxed atmosphere for
you to enjoy your food. So
if you feel your stomach
growling between lessons,
or if you simply want to
hang out with your friends,
why not drop by the Café 3
for a refreshing drink and a
delicious snack to boost your
energy!
Café 3

2
Dear Heart-to-Heart
I joined CE this year when I did
not do so well for my ‘O’ levels. My
siblings and cousins all attend
junior colleges or polytechnics,
and I am the only one in ITE.
I’m starting to regret my playful
attitude in secondary school, so
I try to work hard in my current
course.
I am coping well with my studies,
and the teachers are caring.
However, I cannot help feeling
embarrassed that I am an ITE
student. I feel ashamed when I am
with my family and relatives, or
when I tell my previous teachers
and classmates that I’m with ITE.
I wonder if it is better for me to
just quit school. Please help.
Sincerely, Ismail
RESPONSE
Dear Ismail
There is no need to feel ashamed that you are an ITE student. Here in
ITE, you will undergo comprehensive training to acquire technical skills
that are in demand in the industry. Hence, as long as you are willing
to work hard, you will be able to secure a well-paying job after you
graduate. You might even become a very successful businessman.
You have acknowledged that you could have done better in secondary
school if you had been less playful and that you are now determined
to work hard in your current course. This is a positive start. Success
comes to those who work hard. Many of our students have won
prestigious awards in national and international competitions. ITE
students who do well are also able to progress to polytechnic and
even to university.
I am glad to know that you are coping well with your studies and
that you find that the ITE lecturers here are caring. You may want to
set goals for yourself and strive towards them. I believe you will make
it as long as you put in the effort and have confidence in your own
abilities. Give it your best shot and don’t ever give up!
Heart-to-Heart
Dear Heart-to-Heart
My mum is constantly interfering in my school
work. I will be taking my final year exams soon but
I have trouble concentrating when I am studying.
I feel that I need my own personal space when I
study. However, my mum does not allow me this.
She comes in to my room, turns my radio off, nags
at me to study hard and does not let me go out
with my friends. I know it is because she cares but
she does not seem to understand that I need my
own time and space.
I am already very stressed about my upcoming
exams because I do want to make it to the
polytechnic. What should I do? Thanks.
Sincerely, Xin Yee
RESPONSE
Dear Xin Yee
I can understand your dilemma. On one hand, you hope your mum will
allow you more freedom while on the other hand, you understand
that she is concerned about you and wants the best for you. Have you
tried communicating with your mum about how you feel?
It may also help if you share your plans with your mum so that she
realises that you have set goals for yourself and are working hard
towards them. Find an opportunity to speak to her, perhaps one of
the days after dinner when everyone is feeling relaxed.
You also mentioned that you are feeling stressed about the upcoming
exams and that you want to do well enough to go on to a polytechnic.
Plan your time wisely and remember that your lecturers are always
more than ready to help you with your schoolwork.
Finally, tell yourself that you should be proud of yourself as long as
you have really tried your best. I hope everything works out well for
you and good luck with your exams!
Heart-to-Heart
CODES OF ETHICS & CONDUCT:
- School of Applied & Heath Science
Confidentiality, Dedication, Safety
- School of Business
Service, Entreprenuership, Professional Image
- School of Engineering
Precision, Safety, IPR
- School of Info-Comm Technology
Service, Security, IPR

Events
Nov 2007
Feb 2008
Nov
1 Nov CPF MoneySENSE
Various venues Grand Carnival
1 Nov Blood Donation Drive
Function Hall
8 Nov Deepavali
9 Nov Visit from Ship for Southeast
Asian Youth Programme
Dec
3-14 Dec Examination Period
15 Dec – 6 Jan School vacation
20 Dec Hari Raya Haji
25 Dec Christmas Day
9-10 Nov CeMTA Production
Main Lecture “Slaves of Pharaoh & Prayer for
Theatre
the Millennium”
10 Nov Metta Shine Night
Auditorium
15 Nov Career Fair
Indoor Sports Hall
16 Nov Exploration: Arts Under The Stars
Amphitheatre
17 Nov Musica Fantasia2
Auditorium
27-30 November International Robotics
Olympiad
Jan-Feb
7 Jan New academic term
7-8 Jan Orientation Programme for
Jan 08 intake
7-8 Feb Chinese New Year
20-22 Feb Graduation Ceremony
Contest
One of our readers sent us
this photo of a beautiful
green moth found in the
college. Can you correctly
guess its name and where it
was spotted? Simply email (A) Gypsy moth, spotted
your name and answer to in the canteen
ce360degrees@gmail.com
(B) Oleander Hawk-moth,
by 31 January 2008 and
spotted in the toilet
stand a chance to win a $5
(C) The Lackey Moth,
voucher from the Co-op Shop.
spotted in the
Hurry! Three lucky winners
classroom
will be chosen!
News Flash !
Congratulations
to Ya Da Nar Moe, Jessica from the
School of Business for being elected
as the 4 th Student Council President -
the first female candidate to do so!
Email us if you too have come across interesting sightings
like these in campus!